stonewall

1 of 2

verb

stone·​wall ˈstōn-ˌwȯl 

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

Verb

That means anyone whose application had been stonewalled around that time must get processed, and now, so must new applications, for as long as the roughly $20 million remaining in federal money lasts. —Kayla Dwyer, IndyStar, 2 July 2025

When one or both partners stonewalled — shut down or disengaged — musculoskeletal issues such as back and neck pain became more prevalent. —Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 22 June 2025

Noun

The dining room has been tastefully designed with its stone walls and low-lighting; the stone walls help keep the place cool, a plus in this summer’s tropical weather. —Tom Hyland, Forbes.com, 8 July 2025

Photos shared by the agency show the inside of the tunnel with stone walls and a metal track system. —Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 21 June 2025

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

Rhymes for stonewall

• aerosol
• alcohol
• arbitral
• basketball
• butanol
• cannonball
• carbinol
• catarrhal
• cortisol
• ethanol
• fireball
• gasohol

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