keep someone at arm's length
The phrase "keep someone at arm’s length" means to maintain a certain distance or level of separation from someone, usually emotionally or personally. It implies not being too close or intimately involved with the person in question. It indicates a desire to maintain a certain degree of detachment or caution in a relationship, often due to mistrust, suspicion, or a desire to protect oneself from potential harm or negative influences.
An idiom is a phrase or expression that usually presents a figurative, non-literal meaning attached to the phrase. Does that sound fun? It can be!
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