stonewall

American  

[stohn-wawl] / ˈstoʊnˌwɔl /

verb (used without object)

• stonewalls,
  present (3rd person singular)
• stonewalled,
  past participle,  past
• stonewalling
  present participle

1. to engage in stonewalling.

2. British. filibuster.

3. Cricket. (of a batsman) to play a defensive game, as by persistently blocking the ball instead of batting it for distance and runs.

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verb (used with object)

• stonewalls,
  present (3rd person singular)
• stonewalled,
  past participle,  past
• stonewalling
  present participle

1. Informal. to block, stall, or resist intentionally.

   lobbying efforts to stonewall passage of the legislation.

2. British. to obstruct (the passage of a legislative bill) in Parliament, especially by excessive or prolonged debate.

adjective

1. pertaining to or characteristic of stonewalling.

   a new round of stonewall tactics.

stonewall British  

/ ˌstəʊnˈwɔːl /

verb

1. (intr) cricket (of a batsman) to play defensively

2. to obstruct or hinder (parliamentary business)

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• stonewaller
  noun

Inflected Forms

Participles

• stonewalling
  present
• stonewalled
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• stonewall
  simple
• stonewalls
  simple
• have stonewalled
  perfect
• has stonewalled
  perfect
• am stonewalling
  progressive
• are stonewalling
  progressive
• is stonewalling
  progressive
• have been stonewalling
  perfect progressive
• has been stonewalling
  perfect progressive

Past

• stonewalled
  simple
• had stonewalled
  perfect
• was stonewalling
  progressive
• were stonewalling
  progressive
• had been stonewalling
  perfect progressive

Future

• will stonewall
  simple
• will have stonewalled
  perfect
• will be stonewalling
  progressive
• will have been stonewalling
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of stonewall

v. and adj. use of noun phrase stone wall

Explanation

To stonewall is to deliberately hold something up or delay it, especially by refusing to cooperate or answer questions. A big company might stonewall when its workers try to negotiate for higher pay — and your parents might stonewall when you try to negotiate for a higher allowance. A press secretary stonewalls when she avoids directly answering a reporter's pointed questions, and you stonewall when you change the subject rather than commit to visiting your grandma. The word stonewall was coined as a nickname for Confederate General Thomas J. Jackson, who was described as "standing like a stone wall" as the enemy approached. It was originally a noun, meaning "an act of obstruction."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

stonewall stonewalls stonewalled stonewalling

The administration’s attempt to stonewall Alcaraz’s family comes as no surprise.

From Slate ● Aug. 11, 2026

But Kornev is young and infused with an idealistic zeal, refusing to let these goons stonewall him.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 26, 2026

Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a bill that seeks to stonewall the project.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 27, 2025

"You want to be able to nail someone down and pinpoint who it is that's basically saying, 'We're getting the planes up in the air, and just stonewall the judge,'" Prof Tsai said.

From BBC ● Apr. 17, 2025

Several were sitting back on their haunches, their claws scraping at the chalky stonewall that flanked the waterfall.

From "Gregor the Overlander" by Suzanne Collins

And then, when Tim stonewalls him about stealing a gun, Gaitok doesn’t respond with the obvious “dude, there’s video.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 16, 2025

Not when Lawson blows past Becton, and not when Becton stonewalls Lawson.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 1, 2021

Sections of historic stonewalls that line roads and mark property boundaries remain.

From Washington Times ● Apr. 29, 2020

Bread Loaf was a postcard of open green fields, snaking stonewalls, an old barn and inn, painted in Marblehead gold.

From The New Yorker ● Jul. 5, 2016

Their nests are built along the roadsides, or beside stonewalls or any place affording satisfactory shelter.

From The Bird Book Illustrating in natural colors more than seven hundred North American birds; also several hundred photographs of their nests and eggs. by Chester A. (Chester Albert) Reed

The sheriff, Bonta said, “has delayed, stonewalled, and otherwise refused to work with us in good faith” and failed to provide most of the requested documents.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 21, 2026

Both the army and the RSF have previously stonewalled negotiations brokered by the US and Saudi Arabia.

From Barron's ● Nov. 26, 2025

Lawyers for Kahn and Indyke said they hadn’t stonewalled discovery requests and have turned over hundreds of thousands of pages to private plaintiffs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 23, 2025

Ms Brownlie said "that makes it more frustrating" when her requests through the formal processes have been "stonewalled".

From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2025

Amber Carson is the woman who stonewalled Alicia on the phone about two and half hours ago.

From "Things Not Seen" by Andrew Clements

The team also struggles with stonewalling from social media sites and chronic shortages of staff and funds.

From Barron's ● Sep. 10, 2026

A lawsuit accuses the Justice Department and Todd Blanche of stonewalling the state’s investigation into activities at Zorro Ranch.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026

Social media fervor against the brand has died down as well, though the union battle continues to dog the company, with organisers accusing Niccol of stonewalling contract talks.

From BBC ● Feb. 1, 2026

But Johnson is really being tied up in knots for his stonewalling over the Jeffrey Epstein files.

From Salon ● Oct. 12, 2025

“In a word, yes. I’m guessing now, but I think she believes that Branwell is stonewalling, that his silence is just a stubborn refusal to talk about what happened.”

From "Silent To The Bone" by E.L. Konigsburg

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