| 释义 |
at arm's length1Away from the body, with one’s arm fully extended: I held the telephone at arm’s length...- After weeks and weeks of blurred vision and of holding books and paper at arm's length, the whole world, near and far, leapt into sharp focus once more.
- You're wondering if there will be enough room even to hold your book at arm's length above shoulder level and squint at the small type on the train.
- I give him a cheque, at arm's length, but can't find my guarantee card.
2Avoiding intimacy or close contact: he has long fought to keep the government at arm’s length from big business...- McNealy has long fought to keep the government at arm's length from big business and says that too much intrusion could be enough to take the fun out of being a CEO.
- He deliberately kept his sister at arm's length; what few real close friends he had you could probably count on one hand.
- She said that they still talked, but she kept him at arm's length; they were not as close.
Synonyms avoid, keep away from, stay away from, steer clear of, circumvent, give a wide berth to See parent entry: arm |