at arm's length

Idioms  

1. At a distance, avoiding intimacy or familiarity, as in Bill hated seeing his colleagues outside the office, preferring to keep all of them at arm's length, or She was friendly only when he was safely at arm's length. Now often used with the verb keep, this term for distancing oneself from a person, organization, or issue originated as at arm's end but developed its current form by the mid-1600s.

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Example Sentences

Jeremy held the saucer at arm's length.

From Literature

She held me at arm’s length, inventorying every little new freckle, every extra pound.

From Literature

The defense did most of the heavy lifting from there, holding Oregon at arm’s length until the fourth quarter, when the Ducks flew out in front, dealing the Trojans another loss.

From Los Angeles Times

That day in the field outside Beijing, Silva managed to keep the poacher at arm's length until the police arrived.

From BBC

Rolex could show a way forward for the industry by keeping resellers at arm’s length, all while protecting its brand.

From The Wall Street Journal