keep (someone/something) at arm's length

to avoid becoming connected with someone or something.

We proposed a tax break for companies that treat their workers well, but lawmakers are keeping the idea at arm's length for now.

She doesn't talk much about it because she needs to hold these painful experiences at arm's length.

Related vocabulary: keep your distance from someone/something

Etymology: from the literal meaning of at arm's length (= away from you by a distance equal to the length of your arm)

• have guts for garters
• have had a bellyful of
• have had a bellyful of something
• have had a good innings
• have had chips
• have had day
• have had fill
• have had fill of
• have had fill of something
• have had it
• have had its chips
• have had its day
• have had it up to here
• have had it with
• have had it with someone
• have had it with something
• have had more something than has had hot dinners
• have had more something than someone has had hot dinners
• have had more than fair share of
• have had more than fair share of something
• have had more than has had hot dinners
• have had more than someone has had hot dinners
• have had more than your fair share of
• have had more than your fair share of something
• have had your chips