fence with

Idioms

Avoid answering directly, try to evade, as in The mayor was very clever at fencing with the press about his future plans. This expression transfers the parry and thrust of fencing to a verbal exchange. [Second half of 1600s]

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He also has lined his fence with plastic skeletons and placards reading, “This Prison is Going to Kill Arkansas.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026

"I want children and the white picket fence with my amazing wife - I just want that normality. This is my gateway to doing it and I can't wait."

From BBC • Jan. 13, 2026

The operation is surrounded by a metal fence with green tarp; signs warn that the fence is charged with 7,000 volts.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 11, 2025

She said that prompted her to install the iron fence with razor wire but that it was eventually damaged by the trespassers.

From Los Angeles Times • May 30, 2025

I knew every alley and every street, every back wall to climb over, every fence with a gap big enough to slip through.

From "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023