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
These serious problems in the judiciary’s approach to cybersecurity have been able to fester for decades because the judiciary covers up its own negligence, has no inspector general and repeatedly stonewalls congressional oversight. Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 25 Aug. 2025 The union members, part of the Orange County Employees Association, say the city has stonewalled worker requests for recognition pay, shift differential enhancements and affordable healthcare. Mona Darwish, Oc Register, 14 Aug. 2025
Noun
Stepping through the ancient stone wall of the Old Town transported me into a storybook. Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 29 Aug. 2025 Witnesses told officials that people yelled at the woman driving to hit the brakes, but the cart eventually hit a stone wall and flipped, sending all four occupants into the water. Doha Madani, NBC news, 28 Aug. 2025 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

Browse Nearby Words

See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Stonewall.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stonewall. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on stonewall

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!