scare tactics

American  

[skair tak-tiks] / ˈskɛər ˌtæk tɪks /

Also scare tactic

plural noun

1. a strategy to get someone to comply or surrender by making them afraid.

   Scare tactics won't keep kids from using drugs, says this social worker.

   In this telemarketing scam, perpetrators use the threat of a computer meltdown as a scare tactic to get victims to send money.

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Etymology

Origin of scare tactics

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

For years, reformers rightly pushed back against scare tactics meant to keep marijuana illegal.

From Slate • Jun. 13, 2026

"But it's hard to ignore that Anthropic has a history of scare tactics."

From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026

“Those programs were scare tactics, right?” said Sanho, who was a student activist when the government first invited “Officer Friendly or Not-So-Friendly” to come into the classroom.

From Salon • Mar. 15, 2025

This does not mean using scare tactics, which have been shown to backfire.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 3, 2024

But night doctors weren’t just fictions conjured as scare tactics.

From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot