arm's length
Distant, detached.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“He keeps his neighbors at arm's length.”
“The manager keeps his staff at arm's length to maintain his professional authority.”
“She preferred to keep her business associates at arm's length, fearing that personal friendships might eventually complicate their professional dealings.”
- 01
go to great lengths
To make a major effort; to be very careful when doing something, especially to an extreme or excessive degree.
- 02
short of a length
of a ball that pitches short of a good length; a ball that bounces closer to the bowler than the area of the pitch regarded as the best for dismissing or restricting the scoring of the batsman.
- 03
the length of the Flemington straight
A long way, a great distance, a large gap, a lot.
Last updated August 10, 2026