Meaning & use
stonewall
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Meanings
verbtransitive or intransitive
To avoid giving answers or help, so that a request or investigation gets nowhere.
Grammar: Takes an object: stonewall the committee. It can also stand alone: He just stonewalled.
Patterns
- stonewall someone
- stonewall an investigation
The company continued to stonewall reporters.
Officials stonewalled the inquiry for months.
When asked about the missing money, he simply stonewalled.
verbintransitivesportBritish
In cricket, to play very defensively and slowly, preventing the other side from winning.
Grammar: Used without an object, mainly in British cricket commentary.
Patterns
- stonewall for something
He stonewalled for two hours to save the match.
The batsman decided to stonewall until the rain arrived.
They stonewalled in the final session and earned a draw.
Word forms
| third person singular | stonewalls |
|---|---|
| past tense | stonewalled |
| past participle | stonewalled |
| -ing form | stonewalling |
Common combinations
- stonewall an investigation
- The department tried to stonewall the investigation.
- stonewall reporters
- The minister continued to stonewall reporters.
- stonewall requests
- The agency stonewalled requests for the documents.
- stonewall the inquiry
- Witnesses stonewalled the inquiry by claiming they had forgotten.
- accused of stonewalling
- The mayor was accused of stonewalling.
Synonyms and how they differ
- obstruct
- Obstruct means to block something actively, while stonewall suggests refusing to answer or cooperate.
- stall
- Stall means to delay by making excuses, whereas stonewall suggests a firm, unmoving refusal.
- evade
- Evade means avoiding a question or duty, often cleverly, while stonewall means shutting the other person out.
- block
- Block is a general term for stopping something, whereas stonewall is mainly about refusing information.
Opposites
Word family
- stonewalling noun
- the act of refusing to answer or cooperate
- stonewaller noun
- a person who refuses to cooperate or, in cricket, bats defensively
- stone wall noun
- a wall made of stone
Commonly confused: stonewall or stonewall (noun)?
stonewall vs stonewall (noun)
A stone wall written as two words is a physical barrier, but the verb stonewall is a single word about refusing to cooperate.
Practice
The minister stonewalled questions about the contract. What did she do?
Choose one answer.
To stonewall is to refuse to give information or cooperate. Answering fully is the opposite.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “stonewall”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.