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)

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

Republicans have pleaded for five members of the Democratic caucus to join the three who have already crossed party lines to back a reopening in recent weeks, but have seen their calls stonewalled as the remaining 44 Democrats have remained united. —Al Weaver, The Hill, 13 Oct. 2025

Bondi, during that appearance, stonewalled questions from Democratic senators and insulted them. —Dan Mangan, CNBC, 12 Oct. 2025

Noun

Use Natural Materials A natural stone wall-mount sink in a bathroom highlights the use of earthy materials. —Kathy Barnes, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Nov. 2025

The most astonishing thing about the stone walls, archways, and passages is the miracle of Incan engineering. —Ryan Knighton, AFAR Media, 31 Oct. 2025

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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