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.

"We're not going in there with a big stick to start off with, what's fair is that there's a conversation, that conversation leads to action, and the parents buy into that action," he said.

From BBC • May 7, 2026

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

From Salon • Jan. 11, 2026

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

From Seattle Times • Mar. 15, 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

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

From "The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs" by Betty G. Birney