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
There’s probably not a football fan alive who doesn’t love to see a ball carrier use a good stiff-arm to knock a defender to the ground.
—
Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 1 Apr. 2025
Canada and Denmark currently offer a striking contrast in playbooks for responding to a suddenly hostile U.S. While Incoming Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is taking a stiff-arm tactic for the moment, others are like the Danes and trying to accommodate Trump’s impulses.
—Philip Elliott, TIME, 11 Mar. 2025
And his actions to stiff-arm Congress by ignoring laws and funding instructions during his 100-day blitz of executive directives have stoked mistrust among Democrats in both chambers.
—Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 6 Feb. 2025
Daniels mustered an escape with a stiff-arm and lateral burst.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Jan. 2025
Andrew Greif Two stiff-arms and 24 yards later, Philadelphia tight end Dallas Goedert turned a second-and-1 situation into a touchdown for the Eagles.
—NBC News, 13 Jan. 2025
They stiff-arm congressional subpoenas or demands for information with spurious claims of state secrets, executive privilege or unwritten tradition.
—Bruce Fein, Baltimore Sun, 9 Jan. 2025
There was more than a grain of truth to the lament by Pence and company that the Democrats in Washington were stiff-arming comprehensive immigration legislation backed by Republicans and the Trump administration.
—John C. Moritz, Austin American-Statesman, 11 Feb. 2024
Washington’s offense still controlled the ball and clock enough, however, to stiff-arm the Giants’ late push away.
—Pat Leonard, Hartford Courant, 3 Nov. 2024
Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 1 Apr. 2025
Canada and Denmark currently offer a striking contrast in playbooks for responding to a suddenly hostile U.S. While Incoming Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is taking a stiff-arm tactic for the moment, others are like the Danes and trying to accommodate Trump’s impulses.
—Philip Elliott, TIME, 11 Mar. 2025
And his actions to stiff-arm Congress by ignoring laws and funding instructions during his 100-day blitz of executive directives have stoked mistrust among Democrats in both chambers.
—Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 6 Feb. 2025
Daniels mustered an escape with a stiff-arm and lateral burst.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Jan. 2025
Andrew Greif Two stiff-arms and 24 yards later, Philadelphia tight end Dallas Goedert turned a second-and-1 situation into a touchdown for the Eagles.
—NBC News, 13 Jan. 2025
They stiff-arm congressional subpoenas or demands for information with spurious claims of state secrets, executive privilege or unwritten tradition.
—Bruce Fein, Baltimore Sun, 9 Jan. 2025
There was more than a grain of truth to the lament by Pence and company that the Democrats in Washington were stiff-arming comprehensive immigration legislation backed by Republicans and the Trump administration.
—John C. Moritz, Austin American-Statesman, 11 Feb. 2024
Washington’s offense still controlled the ball and clock enough, however, to stiff-arm the Giants’ late push away.
—Pat Leonard, Hartford Courant, 3 Nov. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stiff-arm
Verb
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My husband was isolating in our spare bedroom, leaving food outside my door three times a day.—
Lizz Schumer,
People.com,
31 May 2025
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The recent Russian advances in Donetsk, while incremental, were enabled by the tactic of isolating the battlefield – cutting Ukrainian units from supplies through drone strikes on supply vehicles up to 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) from the front lines.—
Tim Lister,
CNN Money,
29 May 2025
Verb
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Harsh cleaning powders and gels can scratch the surface, as can stiff brushes and scouring pads.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
20 May 2025
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The past two comparable moves in this small-investor proxy, in November 2022 and March 2022, led to stiff near-term declines in the basket within weeks.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
26 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The jury rejected the BBC's defense that its journalism was fair, responsible and in the public interest.—
Fatima Al-Kassab,
NPR,
30 May 2025
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These individuals reject the Redpill notion of alpha-male masculinity and the accompanying focus on self-improvement.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
30 May 2025
Verb
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The obvious solution—getting a proper job—is, for Jack, a non-starter: conventional work repulses him.—
Peter C. Baker,
New Yorker,
11 May 2025
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Image In the novel, Pabst starts off physically repulsed by the mere idea of working for the Reich, but gradually comes around.—
David Segal,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Republican bill cuts Medicaid for unemployed, undocumented children, Planned Parenthood How much do Americans rely on programs like Medicaid and Social Security?—
Riley Beggin,
USA Today,
23 May 2025
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The president has cut the Israelis out of regional decision making and reportedly kiboshed a plan to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities.—
Yair Rosenberg,
The Atlantic,
22 May 2025
Verb
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The front element features a fluorine coating to help repel dust and dirt, although that front element does feel vulnerable to damage.—
James Abbott,
Space.com,
23 May 2025
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Speaking with Russian state-run news agency Interfax, Ushakov said Putin shared details about Ukrainian attacks that Russia claims to have repelled ahead of Victory Day celebrations in Moscow on May 9. Newsweek has contacted Russia's Foreign Ministry for comment by email.—
Isabel van Brugen,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 May 2025
Verb
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Kate Hudson and Mindy Kaling’s friendship began in classic Hollywood fashion: while being snubbed at an Oscar party.—
Kara Warner,
Los Angeles Times,
27 May 2025
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Alisson, who snubbed lucrative offers from Saudi Arabian clubs last summer, is effectively under contract until 2027 as the club have a one-year option built into his deal.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
10 May 2025
Verb
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Plus, an in-demand restaurant at capacity might not feel particularly motivated to go above and beyond to satisfy a diner who feels slighted by their subpar table.—
Maggie Hennessy,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
3 Apr. 2025
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Was slighting the defense to improve the offense worth risking a miss on several top defensive prospects?—
Mike Kaye,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stiff-arm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stiff-arm. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
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