fence with

Idioms  

1. 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]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

fence with

Neighbor Karen Estes watched over a fence with her Golden retriever, Honey.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

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

There was a slight challenge here, though, in that I came to a chain-link fence with an opening for people to step through.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2025

Behind it was a latrine, which was a one-rail fence with buckets under it.

From "Slaughterhouse-Five" by Kurt Vonnegut