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

“Sometimes it seems to say: ‘Well if you don’t like these carrots, we’ve got a big stick as well,” he said.

From New York Times • Apr. 4, 2023

Despite the big stick, keeping the quiet has never been easy.

From Salon • Oct. 9, 2021

I stepped into the woods, looked around, could not see the crow, but noticed a big stick nest in a scrabbly pine.

From "My Side of the Mountain" by Jean Craighead George