as in to isolate
to deliberately ignore or treat rudely
in his sad and lonely old age, he stiff-armed even once-beloved friends
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Recent Examples of stiff-arm
Stripe can’t pay with its own shares, and would need rock-solid debt commitments to rebut any stiff-arm from PayPal.
—
Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 26 Feb. 2026
The 24-song set reeled in an impressive 280,000 equivalent album units, stiff-arming a surging Bad Bunny from pole position.
—Carl Lamarre, Billboard, 19 Feb. 2026
Indiana kept its circle tight and held its belief tighter, stiff-arming infiltrators and doubters with equal authority.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 20 Jan. 2026
In that sense, stiff-arming Disney is not likely to result in long-term satisfied customers.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 11 Nov. 2025
Lindsey needed to stiff-arm a tackler and every single inch to reach the pylon, as well as a replay review to uphold it, in order to score the game-winning touchdown in a 23-20 overtime win at Huntington Bank Stadium.
—Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 1 Nov. 2025
But Sage essentially struck a Heisman Trophy pose, stiff-arming Shannon from any sort of reconciliation.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025
Dart finished that run by winding up a big stiff-arm for Chargers cornerback Cam Hart.
—Dan Duggan, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
Kelce hauled in a 23-yard reception while stiff-arming Eagles cornerback Cooper DeJean.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 21 Sep. 2025
Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 26 Feb. 2026
The 24-song set reeled in an impressive 280,000 equivalent album units, stiff-arming a surging Bad Bunny from pole position.
—Carl Lamarre, Billboard, 19 Feb. 2026
Indiana kept its circle tight and held its belief tighter, stiff-arming infiltrators and doubters with equal authority.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 20 Jan. 2026
In that sense, stiff-arming Disney is not likely to result in long-term satisfied customers.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 11 Nov. 2025
Lindsey needed to stiff-arm a tackler and every single inch to reach the pylon, as well as a replay review to uphold it, in order to score the game-winning touchdown in a 23-20 overtime win at Huntington Bank Stadium.
—Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 1 Nov. 2025
But Sage essentially struck a Heisman Trophy pose, stiff-arming Shannon from any sort of reconciliation.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025
Dart finished that run by winding up a big stiff-arm for Chargers cornerback Cam Hart.
—Dan Duggan, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
Kelce hauled in a 23-yard reception while stiff-arming Eagles cornerback Cooper DeJean.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 21 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stiff-arm
Verb
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But opposition leaders have described the proposal as an effort to erase the crimes committed in the prison, where inmates were often isolated for months at a time, and tortured by agents seeking information on the activities of opposition activists.—
Manuel Rueda,
NPR,
20 Mar. 2026
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What’s more, the project also introduced an ultra-compact, galvanically isolated DC/DC converter with a 250-kilowatt capacity.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Still, with Thursday’s 3 p.m. NBA trade deadline rapidly approaching, Sexton and the Hornets insist the easiest way to keep the chatter from becoming a distraction is to stiff arm it as much as possible.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
4 Feb. 2026
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Say goodbye to stiff towels with these tips for how to make towels soft again.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
25 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Meanwhile, the executives from several of the vendors that built out the state’s four-region 911 system encouraged the Assembly Committee on Emergency Management to reject Cal OES’ decision to transition to the statewide design.—
William Melhado,
Sacbee.com,
18 Mar. 2026
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Easier, maybe, to imagine Blume rejecting the general proposition of an author biography, which seeks to root a subject’s work in their specific experiences, dislodging them from a supposedly neutral or unmarked position.—
Katy Waldman,
New Yorker,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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After a disastrous trip to Mexico where Irina appeared repulsed by pretty much everything Zack did, the couple split and Zack crawled back to Bliss.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 Mar. 2026
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Charlie, though, is trying to keep them out of a country that thoroughly repulses him.—
Alexander Nazaryan,
New Yorker,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The fear, Webster said, can make young athletes avoid sport-specific movements like cutting or jumping even after physical clearance.—
Ian McMahan,
New York Times,
21 Mar. 2026
-
Worries have gotten so high that traders have canceled nearly all their bets that the Federal Reserve could cut interest rates this year, according to data from CME Group.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Consignment stores rely on stocking items that feel current, so anything that screams a specific past era—think cold-shoulder tops or a bandage dress—isn’t likely to make the cut.—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
21 Feb. 2026
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Over the next half decade, Biden cold-shouldered the Turkish government.—
Kaya Genç,
The Dial,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The attack took place less than 24 hours after the Nigerian military repelled attacks by militants on the outskirts of Maiduguri, in what some residents say could have been planned as a distraction.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
18 Mar. 2026
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Monday’s attack took place less than 24 hours after the Nigerian military repelled attacks by militants outside Maiduguri.—
Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Le Figaro, a center-right publication and one of France’s newspapers of record, was another to broach politics as to why Bardot was snubbed.—
Abid Rahman,
HollywoodReporter,
17 Mar. 2026
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But for the better part of a century, the Oscars have consistently celebrated pieces of horror — acting, writing, cinematography, score — while snubbing the collaborative effort as a complete work of art.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
17 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stiff-arm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stiff-arm. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
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