stone·wall
ˈstōn-ˌwȯl 
stonewalled; stonewalling; stonewalls
1
chiefly British
: to engage in obstructive parliamentary debate or delaying tactics
2
: to be uncooperative, obstructive, or evasive
: to refuse to comply or cooperate with
stonewaller
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
Jess Weatherbed, The Verge, 24 Apr. 2024
Republicans have tried to expand school choice for years, but have been stonewalled with court decisions.
—Hannah Pinski, The Courier-Journal, 29 Mar. 2024
When Dean’s friends stonewall her, Addison hires her father’s old friend, Porter Hayes, to look for him.
—Sandra Dallas, The Denver Post, 26 Mar. 2024
In late January, the Turkish parliament ratified Sweden’s accession to NATO, bringing an end to nearly two years of stonewalling by the Turkish government.
—Soner Cagaptay, Foreign Affairs, 19 Feb. 2024
The governor, who stonewalled earlier attempts to opt into the program, said his perspective changed after speaking with students across the state who didn’t get enough to eat over the summer months.
—USA TODAY, 13 Feb. 2024
According to Barnett, management stonewalled on his report.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 16 Mar. 2024
As disturbing details about their relationship emerge, the Jordans hire a lawyer and start stonewalling.
—Sarah Lyall, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2024
But on Capitol Hill, aides to the two lawmakers, Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas and Sen. Jim Risch of Idaho, are accusing the administration of stonewalling critical questions on the size of the force.
—Michael Wilner, Miami Herald, 8 Mar. 2024
Maya Kachroo-Levine, Travel + Leisure, 16 Apr. 2024
Built in the Middle Ages, the ancient setting of the village, with its stone walls, cobblestone roads, and lavoir (a stone washing pool for laundry) has proven to be a great source of inspiration, transporting visitors to another place and time.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2024
When Kirill arrived outside the Phanar, a crowd of Ukrainian protesters had already gathered around the compound’s beige stone walls.
—Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2024
Ferrari managed the project herself, acquiring the slice of land with crumbling stone walls from a family who had owned it for many years, then merging it with her own property.
—Rachel Kurzius, Washington Post, 5 Mar. 2024
The road becomes narrow, winding through villages and coconut groves, where palms arch over stone walls.
—Jane Alexander, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Feb. 2024
What stone walls can tell us At this stage, my students, colleagues and I are just beginning to pair stone wall science with LiDAR techniques at the scale of villages.
—Robert M. Thorson, Discover Magazine, 9 Dec. 2023
Some of the carvings date back to the Middle Ages, the researchers said, while the stone wall itself was likely constructed in the Iron Age.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 1 Apr. 2024
The stone wall remained hidden for about the last 8,500 years when it was submerged due to sea level rise.
—Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 27 Mar. 2024
Verb
Spotify submitted a new version of its iOS app that should give users in the European Union in-app pricing information for subscriptions made outside of Apple’s payment system — provided the update doesn’t get stonewalled by Apple again.
—Jess Weatherbed, The Verge, 24 Apr. 2024
Republicans have tried to expand school choice for years, but have been stonewalled with court decisions.
—Hannah Pinski, The Courier-Journal, 29 Mar. 2024
When Dean’s friends stonewall her, Addison hires her father’s old friend, Porter Hayes, to look for him.
—Sandra Dallas, The Denver Post, 26 Mar. 2024
In late January, the Turkish parliament ratified Sweden’s accession to NATO, bringing an end to nearly two years of stonewalling by the Turkish government.
—Soner Cagaptay, Foreign Affairs, 19 Feb. 2024
The governor, who stonewalled earlier attempts to opt into the program, said his perspective changed after speaking with students across the state who didn’t get enough to eat over the summer months.
—USA TODAY, 13 Feb. 2024
According to Barnett, management stonewalled on his report.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 16 Mar. 2024
As disturbing details about their relationship emerge, the Jordans hire a lawyer and start stonewalling.
—Sarah Lyall, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2024
But on Capitol Hill, aides to the two lawmakers, Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas and Sen. Jim Risch of Idaho, are accusing the administration of stonewalling critical questions on the size of the force.
—Michael Wilner, Miami Herald, 8 Mar. 2024
Noun
There are also 95 bungalows on the property, with gorgeous stone walls, marble and natural wood interiors, and art curated by Greek artist Anna Chatzinassiou.
—Maya Kachroo-Levine, Travel + Leisure, 16 Apr. 2024
Built in the Middle Ages, the ancient setting of the village, with its stone walls, cobblestone roads, and lavoir (a stone washing pool for laundry) has proven to be a great source of inspiration, transporting visitors to another place and time.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2024
When Kirill arrived outside the Phanar, a crowd of Ukrainian protesters had already gathered around the compound’s beige stone walls.
—Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2024
Ferrari managed the project herself, acquiring the slice of land with crumbling stone walls from a family who had owned it for many years, then merging it with her own property.
—Rachel Kurzius, Washington Post, 5 Mar. 2024
The road becomes narrow, winding through villages and coconut groves, where palms arch over stone walls.
—Jane Alexander, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Feb. 2024
What stone walls can tell us At this stage, my students, colleagues and I are just beginning to pair stone wall science with LiDAR techniques at the scale of villages.
—Robert M. Thorson, Discover Magazine, 9 Dec. 2023
Some of the carvings date back to the Middle Ages, the researchers said, while the stone wall itself was likely constructed in the Iron Age.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 1 Apr. 2024
The stone wall remained hidden for about the last 8,500 years when it was submerged due to sea level rise.
—Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 27 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stonewall.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near stonewall
Cite this Entry
“Stonewall.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stonewall. Accessed 4 May. 2024.
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