as in to isolate
to deliberately ignore or treat rudely
in his sad and lonely old age, he stiff-armed even once-beloved friends
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of stiff-arm
After stiff-arming challengers on the front 9, Cink played free and easy.
—
Jay Paris, Oc Register, 30 Mar. 2026
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
Jay Paris, Oc Register, 30 Mar. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stiff-arm
Verb
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While no specific therapy is approved for ANDV, early recognition dramatically improves the ability to deliver aggressive supportive care, monitor oxygenation, isolate potentially infectious patients, and initiate contact tracing before broader transmission occurs.—
Steve Brozak,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
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Half of those people are isolating at home, while the other half are being monitored at the hospital in Omaha and at a medical center in Kansas City.—
Rebecca Cohen,
NBC news,
15 May 2026
Verb
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Generally, my blowout starts to get limp and stiff around day three (despite sleeping in overnight blowout rods), but the week of my Cécred test, my mane still looked fresh-out-the-salon by day five.—
Kiana Murden,
Vogue,
22 Mar. 2026
-
Testers noted how plush or stiff the mattress felt after consistent sleep on the mattresses, from a boxed memory foam to a hybrid bed.—
Kristi Kellogg,
Architectural Digest,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Libby Savill, the deputy chair of Southbank Centre, outright rejected the allegations.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
19 May 2026
-
That could be fine if people knew when to rely on AIs and when to reject them.—
Gautam Mukunda,
Mercury News,
19 May 2026
Verb
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Firstman’s debut directorial effort, Club Kid, shrewdly acknowledges those garish personality tics, which have both endeared and repulsed audiences.—
Richard Lawson,
HollywoodReporter,
15 May 2026
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Anyone who has worked in or observed the media industry for the last couple of decades will recognize and be repulsed by nepo-baby Jay, who is undeniably villainous.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Tempo cut it to three midway through the fourth while Brittany Sykes (27 points, seven assists) sparked Toronto’s rally.—
Marisa Ingemi,
Los Angeles Times,
16 May 2026
-
Kreutzer cuts clunkily and repeatedly between the ongoing crises in two households, presumably implying that the men in these women’s lives are all tarred with the same patriarchal brush.—
Stephanie Bunbury,
Deadline,
15 May 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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At the store, it can be found in powders, aerosol solutions, sprays and treated clothing, which is especially effective in repelling and killing insects and ticks.—
Gavin Escott,
USA Today,
20 May 2026
-
Treat clothing and other gear with products that contain permethrin to repel ticks.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
18 May 2026
Verb
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In fact, when Belichick was snubbed from the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a first-ballot inductee earlier this year, Brady was among those who scoffed at the football writers for leaving out the coach with the third-most wins all-time.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
19 May 2026
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Phillips pointed to unbeaten Florida State getting snubbed from a four-team CFP field in 2023 and Notre Dame getting left out of last year’s 12-team model.—
Mark Long,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stiff-arm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stiff-arm. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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