big stick
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.
"There has to be a big stick and a big carrot here," he argues.
From BBC • Mar. 13, 2026
“We don’t go in with the big stick to begin with,” Morling said.
From Seattle Times • Mar. 15, 2024
Despite the big stick, keeping the quiet has never been easy.
From Salon • Oct. 9, 2021
When friends ask Christian Di Nicolantonio about the sport he competes in for Catholic University, he tells them, “It’s the one with the big stick at the Olympics.”
From Washington Post • Sep. 16, 2021
"A man doesn't have a worry in the world, while I've got a baby hanging over my head like a big stick, to keep me in line."
From "The Bell Jar" by Sylvia Plath
From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.
