stiff-arm

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a push made with a fully extended arm, especially to fend off an opponent in sport

   The runner used a stiff-arm to keep the defender from making the tackle.

2. 2
   verb

   to push or hold someone away with a fully extended arm

   She tried to stiff-arm the approaching player without losing the ball.

3. 3
   verb

   figurative and informal: to reject, ignore, or keep someone at a distance

   The company continued to stiff-arm reporters who asked about the decision.

Formed in American English from stiff + arm, referring to an arm held straight and rigid while pushing an opponent away. The figurative sense extends the physical act to social rejection or deliberate avoidance.

Topics