stonewaller
Refuses to cooperate
A stonewaller is someone who refuses to answer questions, cooperate, or engage meaningfully—blocking progress through silence, evasion, or obstruction.
The term appears in politics when officials refuse to testify or release information, and in relationships where one partner shuts down communication: He's such a stonewaller—I can never get a straight answer from him.
Turn from course
- sidestepEvade by moving aside
- equivocateSpeak vaguely to mislead
- dodgeAvoid by quick movement
- noncommittalNot expressing clear opinion
circumvent · prevaricate · obfuscate · avoidance · reticent · unresponsive · tight-lipped · silent treatment
Remove or pull away
- silent treatmentRefusing to speak
- cold shoulderIntentional dismissive treatment
- shutdownCessation of operations
- disengageBreak free from attachment
unresponsive · passive-aggressive · conflict avoidance · emotional distance · communication breakdown · defensive · dismissive · detached
Delaying tactic through speech
- blockerSomething that obstructs
- impedeTo obstruct movement
- thwartPrevent success of
- blockadeSealing off a place
stymie · hamper · hinder · barricade · delay · obstruct · sabotage · bottleneck
Cricket's offensive player
- blockerSomething that obstructs
- anchorSecures ships to seabed
- grinderCrushing or sharpening device
- defensiveProtective or easily threatened
accumulator · innings · opener · tailender · crease · occupation · patience · endurance
Stubbornly refusing to yield
- resoluteFixed in purpose
- inflexibleUnable to bend
- stubbornRefusing to change course
- obdurateStubbornly refusing to change
immovable · implacable · uncompromising · intransigent · steadfast · tenacious · unrelenting · unbending
deflect
Turn from course
- sidestepEvade by moving aside
- equivocateSpeak vaguely to mislead
- dodgeAvoid by quick movement
noncommittal · circumvent · prevaricate · obfuscate · avoidance · reticent · unresponsive · tight-lipped · silent treatment · shutdown
withdraw
Remove or pull away
- silent treatmentRefusing to speak
- cold shoulderIntentional dismissive treatment
- shutdownCessation of operations
disengage · unresponsive · passive-aggressive · conflict avoidance · emotional distance · communication breakdown · defensive · dismissive · detached · withholding
filibuster
Delaying tactic through speech
blockade · stymie · hamper · hinder · barricade · delay · obstruct · sabotage · bottleneck · gridlock
batsman
Cricket's offensive player
defensive · accumulator · innings · opener · tailender · crease · occupation · patience · endurance · stubborn
adamant
Stubbornly refusing to yield
- resoluteFixed in purpose
- inflexibleUnable to bend
- stubbornRefusing to change course
obdurate · immovable · implacable · uncompromising · intransigent · steadfast · tenacious · unrelenting · unbending · rigid
- hardheadshardhead, mule, bullhead, donkey, hardliner
- obstaclesbarriers, block, obstacles, barrier, blockers
- delayersprocrastinator, staller, dawdler, postponer, foot-dragger
- hesitant typeshesitator, waverer, ditherer, fence-sitter, second guesser
- tailenderstailender, tail, lower order, last man, number eleven
stonewalleropen book
One easily understood
whistleblower · truth-teller · confessor · informant · communicator
stonewallercollaborator
One who works jointly
cooperator · team player · negotiator · engager · communicator
- Stonewall Jackson
- Stonewall riotsLGBTQ uprising against police raid
stonewall, stonewalling, stonewalled, stonewalls, stonewallers