at arm's length

prepositional phrase

At a distance, away from one's body.

“She's been keeping me at arm's length all the time. She doesn't want to get involved.”

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Meanings

prepositional phrase
  1. At a distance, away from one's body.

    Iceland were defiant, as they always are, rigid in defence and lacking in attacking ambition, willing to simply keep England at arm's length and maybe land a counter-punch.

    2020 September 5, Phil McNulty, “Iceland 0-1 England”, in BBC Sport
  2. idiomaticAvoiding a close relationship.

    She's been keeping me at arm's length all the time. She doesn't want to get involved.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
at bay

Translations

Esperanto je brakodistanco
  • je brakodistancoat a distance
Finnish etäällä, käsivarren mitan päässä
  • etäälläat a distance
  • käsivarren mitan päässäat a distance
  • pitää etäisyyttäavoiding a close relationship
French à bout de bras
  • à bout de brasat a distance
Hungarian kartávolságra
  • kartávolságraat a distance
Italian a debita distanza, a distanza di sicurezza
  • a debita distanzaat a distance
  • a distanza di sicurezzaat a distance
Polish na wyciągnięcie ręki, na dystans
  • na wyciągnięcie rękiat a distance
  • na dystansat a distance
Spanish a la mano
  • a la manoat a distance
Swedish på armlängds avstånd
  • på armlängds avståndat a distance
Cite this entry
APA

at arm's length. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/at%20arm's%20length

MLA

“at arm's length.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/at%20arm's%20length. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “at arm's length,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/at%20arm's%20length.

Source: at arm's length on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.