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

… because the … government chose to stonewall, reporters had few other places to turn for facts.

—William F. Allman

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)

Did you know?

The earliest English stonewalls were literal; they were walls made from stone. Because a stone wall can be difficult to surmount, English speakers began using stonewall figuratively for things or people who either were persistent and enduring or who presented an obstacle as formidable as a stone wall. (Those figurative senses earned American Confederate Civil War General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson his nickname.) Then, in the late 1800s, cricket players began using stonewall as a verb in reference to a batter's defensive blocking of balls. Around the same time, stonewall found its way into political slang as a synonym of filibuster. There is also a chiefly British sense of "to engage in obstructive parliamentary debate or delaying tactics."

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

Milton’s stretch passes gave it a litany of breakaway chances, one of which Metzler stonewalled shortly after allowing the lead. —Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 18 Feb. 2026

Republicans and Democrats alike slammed Maxwell for stonewalling the panel. —Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 9 Feb. 2026

Noun

Over the years, many famous celebrities have sought privacy here, whether behind stone walls or in discreet waterfront villas. —Jason Phillips, USA Today, 4 Mar. 2026

At this point, there isn’t a magic potion that’s going to turn the Horns into a stone wall on that end. —Cedric Golden, Austin American Statesman, 26 Feb. 2026

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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