big stick
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of big stick
An Americanism dating back to 1895–1900
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.
That is a big stick to beat his players with.
From BBC ● Dec. 18, 2024
“We don’t go in with the big stick to begin with,” Morling said.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 15, 2024
“I had a big stick, and I was banging on the box, really whaling on it. So he wasn’t just plopped on his feet. Because I wanted him to be alighting down to the ground.”
From New York Times ● Jan. 26, 2022
Despite the big stick, keeping the quiet has never been easy.
From Salon ● Oct. 9, 2021
Before I can think too much about what I’m doing, I’ve got the big stick in one hand and my phone in the other, and I’m trying to turn on the little flashlight.
From "Fast Pitch" by Nic Stone
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
