stonewalling
stonewalling — 動詞
- stonewallingpresent simple I / you / we / they
- stonewallings3rd person singular
- stonewallinging-ing form
- stonewallingedpast simple
1. to deliberately slow or block the progress of a discussion, inquiry, or process
拖延；阻撓
故意不合作以阻礙進展
to deliberately slow or block the progress of a discussion, inquiry, or process through a stubborn refusal to give information, reply to questions, or participate in any helpful way — for instance, a politician who will not respond to any questions about a scandal, or a company that keeps documents hidden from inspectors.
When reporters asked about the missing funds, the CEO simply stonewalled and refused to comment.
當記者問起那筆資金去向時，執行長刻意拖延，拒絕回答任何問題。
stonewall (no object) — typical pattern for public figures under pressure
The company has been stonewalling the investigation by hiding financial records from the auditors.
該公司一直透過隱藏財務記錄來拖延調查，不讓審計人員查帳。
stonewall + noun phrase (investigation, committee, inquiry)
Bilal asked his manager about the budget cuts, but she stonewalled and changed the subject.
Bilal 想跟主管討論預算刪減的問題，但她卻刻意拖延阻撓，轉移了話題。
For months, the city council stonewalled on releasing the accident report to the public.
好幾個月來，市議會一直拖延對外公佈事故報告。
- obstruct
more general; can refer to any physical or procedural blocking
- delay
weaker; delay just makes something slower, stonewalling suggests deliberate refusal
- stall
similar but can be temporary; stonewalling implies a firmer refusal to engage
- block
direct and forceful; may involve active opposition rather than passive refusal
文法句型
stonewall (no object) — to refuse to cooperate
stonewall + noun phrase — to block an investigation or inquiry
用法筆記
Common in political, legal, and journalistic contexts. Frequently used with prepositions 'on' (to stonewall on an issue), 'over' (to stonewall over a question), or 'about' (to stonewall about something). The transitivity depends on whether a direct object is specified — 'the senator stonewalled' (intransitive) vs. 'the senator stonewalled the committee' (transitive).
常見錯誤
2. in cricket, to play in a very defensive way by protecting the wicket and not try
拖延打法
板球中只防守不進攻
in cricket, to play in a very defensive way by protecting the wicket and not trying to score runs — used when describing a batter who focuses entirely on not getting out.
In a test match, the batter decided to stonewall by blocking every ball instead of trying to score.
在一場測試賽中，打者決定採取拖延打法，只防守每一球而不試圖得分。
stonewall (no object) — cricket context; 'by blocking every ball' clarifies the defensive tactic
Aaron watched the batsman stonewall through the entire afternoon session without scoring a single run.
Aaron 看著那名打者在整個下午的賽程中一味防守，一分都沒得到。
The visiting team chose to stonewall, blocking every ball to earn a draw rather than lose.
客隊選擇採取拖延打法，擋住每一球來爭取平局，避免輸掉比賽。
Rachid read about a match where the last batter stonewalled for two hours to save the game.
Rachid 讀到一場比賽，最後一位打者靠拖延打法撐了兩小時，保住了比賽結果。
- defend
more general cricket term; stonewalling emphasises extreme defensiveness
- attack
in cricket, to play aggressively and try to score runs
文法句型
stonewall (no object) — in cricket, to play defensively
用法筆記
This sense is specific to cricket. Distinguish from sense 1 (DELIBERATE OBSTRUCTION), where stonewalling is about refusing to cooperate — in cricket it simply describes a defensive playing style without any implication of dishonesty.
常見錯誤
stonewalling — 名詞
1. a low fence or wall built from stones, often used to mark the boundary of a fiel
石牆
用石頭砌成的圍牆
a low fence or wall built from stones, often used to mark the boundary of a field, garden, or piece of land.
The farmer spent the weekend learning traditional stonewalling techniques to repair his field boundaries.
那位農夫利用週末學習傳統的石牆砌造技術，好修補田地的界線。
stonewalling as uncountable noun — the craft of building stone walls
The crumbling stonewalling along the lane was built by the Wei family a century ago.
巷道邊那排破舊的石牆是 Wei 家在一個世紀前砌的。
stonewalling as a noun — the physical stone wall itself
Andrei learned traditional stonewalling from his grandfather and rebuilt the barn's collapsed fence.
Andrei 跟祖父學會了傳統石牆砌造技術，然後重建了穀倉倒塌的圍籬。
The stonewalling on the hill farm is two centuries old and still keeps the sheep inside.
山坡農場上的石牆已有兩百年歷史，至今仍把羊群圍在裡面。
- stone wall
more common form; 'stonewalling' is the gerund noun
- dry-stone wall
specific type built without cement or mortar
用法筆記
Commonly written as two words ('stone walling') or hyphenated ('stone-walling') in this literal sense. The compound 'dry-stone walling' refers to walls built without mortar.
2. a situation in which progress is completely blocked by an immovable obstacle — u
阻礙；障礙
無法突破的妨礙
a situation in which progress is completely blocked by an immovable obstacle — used figuratively to describe an obstruction in public affairs, negotiations, or decision-making.
The peace talks met with stonewalling from both sides, and no agreement was reached.
和平談判遭到雙方阻礙，最終未能達成任何協議。
met with stonewalling — typical collocation for negotiations and talks
There was complete stonewalling on every proposal for healthcare reform at the committee meeting.
委員會會議上，每一項醫療改革提案都受到全面阻撓。
Owen described the budget negotiations as pure stonewalling that wasted three months of government time.
Owen 形容這場預算談判完全是一場阻礙，白白浪費了政府三個月的時間。
The education reform faced stonewalling in parliament and never made it past the first reading.
教育部的新政策在國會碰上了全面阻撓，連一讀都過不了。
- breakthrough
a sudden important advance or development
- progress
forward movement toward a goal
用法筆記
Overlaps in meaning with verb sense 1 (DELIBERATE OBSTRUCTION) but is used as a noun referring to the obstruction itself rather than the action of obstructing. Typically uncountable and used with verbs like 'meet with', 'face', or 'encounter'.