at arm's length
idiom
1
: from a distance that is the length of a person's arm
It's best to view the painting at arm's length.
holding a candle at arm's length
2
: in a condition that individuals act independently and without one having undue influence over another
a deal arranged at arm's length
Examples of at arm's length in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Reuters exclusively reported last month that Mexico's federal government, under pressure from the U.S. in keeping Chinese automakers at arm's length by refusing to offer such incentives as low-cost public land or tax cuts for investment in EV production.
—
Cassandra Garrison, Detroit Free Press, 17 May 2024
Kansas kept Baylor at arm's length for most of the second half.
—David Smale, USA TODAY, 11 Feb. 2024
The second problem was that the insurance contracts must be negotiated at arm's length to be valid for tax purposes.
—Jay Adkisson, Forbes, 10 Feb. 2024
Despite her desire to keep everyone at arm's length, Jen forms an unexpected friendship with fellow attendee Judy (Linda Cardellini), who is mourning her fiancee and harbors a secret.
—Andrew Walsh, EW.com, 30 Jan. 2024
The blooming view is nominal with the small shifts in focus a lens makes for handheld clips at arm's length or present-to-camera recordings from a tripod.
—PCMAG, 6 Feb. 2024
The technologies' outcome, like the number of stars, is also stupefying: The Mesopotamians might have been off by a finger or so held at arm's length, maybe a degree of arc, and Hipparchus was off by about half a degree, or 30 arc minutes.
—Ann Finkbeiner, Scientific American, 16 Jan. 2024
That's about the size of a postage stamp held at arm's length, and is a fair bit bigger than the full Moon on the sky.
—Phil Plait, Discover Magazine, 19 July 2010
Travel hands-free and stash crucial items like passports and wallets at arm's length with the 20% off Metro Sling, a sleek belt bag available in nylon or vegan leather.
—Samantha Jones, Good Housekeeping, 28 Aug. 2023
Cassandra Garrison, Detroit Free Press, 17 May 2024
Kansas kept Baylor at arm's length for most of the second half.
—David Smale, USA TODAY, 11 Feb. 2024
The second problem was that the insurance contracts must be negotiated at arm's length to be valid for tax purposes.
—Jay Adkisson, Forbes, 10 Feb. 2024
Despite her desire to keep everyone at arm's length, Jen forms an unexpected friendship with fellow attendee Judy (Linda Cardellini), who is mourning her fiancee and harbors a secret.
—Andrew Walsh, EW.com, 30 Jan. 2024
The blooming view is nominal with the small shifts in focus a lens makes for handheld clips at arm's length or present-to-camera recordings from a tripod.
—PCMAG, 6 Feb. 2024
The technologies' outcome, like the number of stars, is also stupefying: The Mesopotamians might have been off by a finger or so held at arm's length, maybe a degree of arc, and Hipparchus was off by about half a degree, or 30 arc minutes.
—Ann Finkbeiner, Scientific American, 16 Jan. 2024
That's about the size of a postage stamp held at arm's length, and is a fair bit bigger than the full Moon on the sky.
—Phil Plait, Discover Magazine, 19 July 2010
Travel hands-free and stash crucial items like passports and wallets at arm's length with the 20% off Metro Sling, a sleek belt bag available in nylon or vegan leather.
—Samantha Jones, Good Housekeeping, 28 Aug. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'at arm's length.' 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 at arm's length
Cite this Entry
“At arm's length.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/at%20arm%27s%20length. Accessed 31 May. 2024.
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