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

Noah Petro, head of NASA's planetary geology lab, told AFP that the Moon will look to the astronauts "about the size of a basketball held at arm's length."

From Barron's • Apr. 5, 2026

Oil wealth and careful diplomacy kept turmoil at arm’s length.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 6, 2026

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

From BBC • Dec. 28, 2025

Inhabiting Timothy’s vulnerability made Crudup think about his own early years, when he tried to establish himself while keeping the machinery of stardom at arm’s length.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 7, 2025

Kelly held her camera at arm’s length and took a picture of the two girls’ grinning faces.

From "George" by Alex Gino