scare tactics
plural noun
a strategy to get someone to comply or surrender by making them afraid.
scare tactic
-
a variation of
scare tactics.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The scare tactic has helped reduce support for the repeal.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
He made fun of the fact that his opponents were using his full name, Abdulrahman Mohamed El-Sayed, as a scare tactic.
From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026
Wicks called Meta’s response a “a scare tactic that they’ve tried to deploy, unsuccessfully, in every country that’s attempted this.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 1, 2023
So, even though that was a serious and dramatic scare tactic, as you said, it did work.
From Salon ● Oct. 30, 2022
Maybe it’s only a threat, a scare tactic.
From "Internment" by Samira Ahmed
