big stick

American  

noun

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

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big stick British  

noun

1. informal force or the threat of using force

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Etymology

Origin of big stick

An Americanism dating back to 1895–1900

Example Sentences

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

But when Bush’s attorneys approached the Trust with “a big stick”, he said, they found that the organization was more than willing to work with them.

From Los Angeles Times

“We don’t go in with the big stick to begin with,” Morling said.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• acumen
• competence
• guile
• quickness
• savvy
• skill
• sophistication
• subtlety
• tact