big stick

noun

1. force, especially political or military, used by a government as a means of influence.

big stick

noun

1. informal,  force or the threat of using force

Word History and Origins

Origin of big stick¹

An Americanism dating back to 1895–1900

Example Sentences

"This was ultimately a negotiation in which President Trump was threatening other countries with a big stick and that stick just got considerably more ephemeral."

From BBC

One is that Trump has turned Theodore Roosevelt’s maxim to “speak softly and carry a big stick” on its head: He speaks loudly and carries barely any stick at all.

From Los Angeles Times

This feeling of certainty and Scotland sit as well together as a hornets' nest and a big stick.

From BBC

That is a big stick to beat his players with.

From BBC

“Speak softly, and carry a big stick,” Theodore Roosevelt advised, though he never envisioned a successor would prove capable of obliterating cities half a world away in under half an hour.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• acumen 
• competence 
• guile 
• quickness www.thesaurus.com
• savvy 
• skill 
• sophistication 
• subtlety 
• tact