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.
“He had a big stick and looked like Moses or something, walking to the promised land,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
“We don’t go in with the big stick to begin with,” Morling said.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 15, 2024
It is quite common these days to hear those who specialise in Taiwan studies quoting the old maxim from President Theodore Roosevelt to "speak softly and carry a big stick".
From BBC ● Feb. 21, 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
A big stick was on the ground next to Frank.
From "The Missing Mitt (The Hardy Boys: Secret Files, #2)" by Franklin W. Dixon
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
