Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(orig. Aus.) to put up barriers, to obfuscate, to prevaricate (often in a sporting context); thus stonewaller n., a person or thing that obstructs; also stonewalling n. and adj., obstructing.

1876		Age (Melbourne) 22 Dec. 3/5: He thought they had at least come to a complete understanding of the grounds on which stonewalling were considered justifable.
1885		C. Praed Head Station 35: He is great at stone-walling tactics, and can talk against time by the hour [F&H].
1887		Age (Melbourne) 16 Dec. 6/3: He contended that no stonewalling tactics had been indulged in.
1900		Bulletin (Sydney) 10 Feb. 24/1: Few Australian cricketers have been given more nick-names by the crowd than huge stonewaller Alick Mackenzie. ‘Helpless Alick,’ ‘Old Flatfoot,’ [...] ‘The Corpse,’ and ‘Feet’ are only some of ’em. [Ibid.] 1 Sept. 20/2: They wax particularly eloqent on this theme whenever the Democrats attempt stonewalling such a scheme as the Callide railway bill.
1903		Oshkosh Northwestern (WI) 9 Dec. 7/4: The Columbians came into contact with a new type of diplomacy — the stonewalled diplomacy of john Hay.
1927		Illus. Sporting & Dramatic News (London) 7 May 22/1: My charge against many a modern stonewaller is that he plays for safety against the authentic blood and impulse of his character.
1928		Winnipeg Trib. (Manitoba) 12 Jan. 12/3: Presenting a stonewall defence [...] the Dominion champions assumed a comfortable lead.
1932		Edinburgh Eve. News 31 Oct. 11/2: Thistle stonewalled in great style, Kackson in goal.
1949		Thanet Advertiser 12 July 2/2: Swalcliff Stonewalled. After declaring at 201 for seven wickets [...] Ramsgate Corinthian could only draw with Swalecliff.
1959		Western Mail 20 Apr. 9/1: ‘Stonewaller’ Jim holds up Merthyr [...] He ‘stonewalled’ faultlessly.
1962		L. Davidson Rose of Tibet 150: ‘Why can’t I see them, then?’ ‘Ah, now. Now, now, old chep,’ said the duke. In the face of such stonewalling, affable but resolute, Houston was powerless.
1975		J. Wambaugh Choirboys (1976) 340: We’ve got it effectively stonewalled.
1981		J. Ellroy Brown’s Requiem 250: The fix was in. The L.A.P.D. had some inkling of what was up and had stonewalled it.
1999		N. Cohn Yes We Have No 331: The mealy-mouthed, stonewalling letters he has received from officialdom.
2000		Guardian G2 22 Mar. 9: I was stonewalled by Jed.
2007		Irish Indep. (Dublin) 16 May 8/7: Stardust victims believe they are being stonewalled by the Government in their attempt to get a new public inquiry.
2015		Livingstone Co. Dly Press 4 Mar. A2/3: Investigative journalist [...] describes how national pres has been ‘stonewalled’ by the current administration.
2017		L.A. Times 14 June A2/2: He pushed back on charges that he was ‘stonewalling’ in refusing to answer the question.
2018		Greenwood Commonwealth (MI) 16 Oct. A3/3: When people stonewall they have decided that nothing they say can change the ways their partners think.
2018		G. Disher Kill Shot [ebook] ‘But what if he keeps stonewalling?’.
2020		D. Whish-Wilson Shore Leave 124: ‘[Y]ou’re stonewalling, protecting one of your own.
2021		S.A. Crosby Razorblade Tears 182: ‘[I]f she tonewalls us, I got some girl cousins we can call’.