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Synonyms

big stick

American  

noun

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

big stick British  

noun

  1. informal force or the threat of using force

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

I threw him a big stick, which he used to pull the bookcase closer.

From Literature

President Theodore Roosevelt famously said “speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far.”

From Salon

What are the pros and cons of a “big stick” approach to diplomacy?

From The Wall Street Journal

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

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.