stonewall

1 of 2

verb

stone·​wall ˈstōn-ˌwȯl How to pronounce stonewall (audio)
stonewalled; stonewalling; stonewalls

intransitive verb

1
chiefly British : to engage in obstructive parliamentary debate or delaying tactics
2
: to be uncooperative, obstructive, or evasive

transitive verb

: to refuse to comply or cooperate with
stonewaller noun

stone wall

2 of 2

noun

1
: a fence made of stones
especially : one built of rough stones without mortar to enclose a field
2
: an immovable block or obstruction (as in public affairs)

Examples of stonewall in a Sentence

Verb They stonewalled until they could come up with a response. They were just stonewalling for time. They're trying to stonewall the media. We're trying to get the information, but we're being stonewalled.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Boebert has said that her intractable politics — stonewalling the January 2023 vote to elect Rep. Kevin McCarthy as House speaker for a series of concessions, for example — are promises kept on the campaign trail. Jesse Bedayn, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2024 In late 2015, after Tehran stonewalled the IAEA’s investigation into the possible military dimensions of its nuclear program, Washington joined its partners on the 35-nation IAEA Board of Governors in voting unanimously to remove discussion of such investigations from its agenda. Tzvi Kahn, Foreign Affairs, 16 Feb. 2017
Noun
Still, Stone House certainly lives up to its name, with stone floors and stone walls. Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 5 Nov. 2024 The Frizzells treat years the way sheep treat stone walls, inconvenient lumps to be leapt over to reach the greener grass. Nell Frizzell, Vogue, 21 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for stonewall 

Word History

First Known Use

Verb

1880, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of stonewall was before the 12th century

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near stonewall

stone wall

stonewall

stoneware

Cite this Entry

“Stonewall.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stonewall. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

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