at arm's length

1. At a distance, avoiding intimacy or familiarity, as in Bill hated seeing his colleagues outside the office, preferring to keep all of them at arm's length, or She was friendly only when he was safely at arm's length. Now often used with the verb keep, this term for distancing oneself from a person, organization, or issue originated as at arm's end but developed its current form by the mid-1600s.

Example Sentences

But “Amélie” can make you feel divided against yourself: admiring of all the inventiveness that’s gone into it even as the calculation of that charm holds you at arm’s length.

From Salon

More than anything, though, it’s a story about how we use technology to connect with the people we want—and sometimes to keep them at arm’s length.

From Slate

Since winning the Democratic mayoral primary in June, many Democratic leaders in New York and nationwide have kept their party’s nominee at arm’s length.

From Salon

Verstappen passed Piastri on the opening lap with a slipstream up the long Kemmel straight and used his Red Bull's straight-line advantage to hold the Australian at arm's length for the entire 15 laps.

From BBC

That should make the job a cakewalk, albeit an irritating one, since they insist on disregarding its safety directives and, worse, treating it like a full member of the team despite its efforts to keep them at arm’s length.

From Salon