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.

This theory, codified in Cold War deterrence doctrine, held that matching force with roughly equal force would control the so-called escalation ladder.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026

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

For Kazuma Kakehashi, higher military spending is about deterrence.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 28, 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