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.
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
Their presence hasn’t been confirmed, and some analysts saw the warning as a scare tactic.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 12, 2026
“All of this bluster and threatening and harassing is simply a scare tactic to try to get us to show up and sit down,” the Texas Democrat said.
From Salon ● Aug. 6, 2025
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
Maybe it’s only a threat, a scare tactic.
From "Internment" by Samira Ahmed
