Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

stonewalling

American  
[stohn-waw-ling] / ˈstoʊnˌwɔ lɪŋ /

noun

  1. the act of stalling, evading, or filibustering, especially to avoid revealing politically embarrassing information.

Etymology

Origin of stonewalling

First recorded in 1875–80; stonewall + -ing 1

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.

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

The incident was unexpected — shocking, even — because for at least two decades, Belichick was the master of stonewalling reporters, steering interviews and giving snarky responses to questions he didn’t appreciate.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2025

Litigation of this stonewalling reached the California Supreme Court, which USA Swimming asked to vacate discovery orders.

From Salon • Aug. 3, 2024

While Japan’s conservative government has been criticized as stonewalling diversity, recent surveys show a majority of Japanese back legalizing same-sex marriage.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 14, 2024

Disgust, for example, is 1, contempt is 2, anger is 7, defensiveness is 10, whining is 11, sadness is 12, stonewalling is 13, neutral is 14, and so on.

From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.