deterrence

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.

But to the extent deterrence is credible, it’s because it’s backed up by certain qualities in a country’s arsenals—and, more important, its politico-military decision-makers.

From Slate • Apr. 21, 2026

Third, the whole idea is malarkey—a half-witted distortion of fairly conventional deterrence theory.

From Slate • Apr. 21, 2026

This huge conventional deterrence, the U.S. convinced itself, rendered impractical military action against the North’s nuclear program.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

It has become a new source of deterrence for Iran.

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026

Henry Kissinger, a contemporary politician, wrote: “Deterrence depends, above all, on psychological criteria. For purposes of deterrence, a bluff taken seriously is more useful than a serious threat interpreted as a bluff.”

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan