saber rattling
4
7.7
- noun
- /ˈseɪbər ˈrætəlɪŋ/
- Literature
:
demostración de fuerza
- Right now, the fuel price is acute due to saber-rattling between the incompetents in the US, the EU, and Iran.
- North Korea's saber rattling
- saber rattling in North Korea
And he's making yet more bogus claims and Sabre rattling threats.
- And he's making yet more bogus claims and Sabre rattling threats.
- This is an Interstate war that cannot be escalated by by media and rhetoric and Saber rattling.
- Now, this Saber rattling by Trump might sound nutty, but apparently nutty is exactly what Trump wants.
- But so I think this is just quite frankly, noise Saber rattling.
- So, like, what do you think this kind of Saber rattling we see from Breton pretends for free speech worldwide?
Examples
-
Iranian citizens often defend the right to have a nuclear industry without necessarily supporting their government's saber rattling.
Academic text (2009) -
Instead of saber rattling about military action, we should employ an effective combination of carrots and sticks.
Academic text (2007) -
There has been plenty of sabre rattling from both sides.
Blog text (6) -
I just wish that the Republican Party could stop the saber rattling without also including those qualifications.
Blog text (16) -
No wonder that embattled incumbents are saber-rattling at China.
Blog text (28) -
Kennan's warning to avoid saber-rattling is well worth heeding by both Iran and the United States.
Academic text (2007) -
We need to stop the saber rattling and instead work tirelessly with the international community to impose severe multilateral sanctions.
Academic text (2008) -
Regardless of what happens in Iraq, and in the saber-rattling confrontation with the United States and Israel, sooner or later, Iran will turn again to the east in quest of its destiny.
Academic text (2007) -
Nevertheless, only three days before the election, Chen responded to saber rattling in Beijing by declaring that "Taiwan is an independent, sovereign country."
Academic text (2002) -
The government's saber rattling aimed to deter any potential aggression from neighboring countries.
Synonyms
10
6.3
A military display meant to scare or trick an enemy
5
7.9
Unfriendly and aggressive behavior that tries to start a fight
1
8.0
Aggressive speech meant to intimidate or dominate others
Speech that tries to make people support war or military action
Antonyms
How Threatening
Surface Forms
Morphology
saber + rattling
The parts are partially transparent: 'saber' denotes a sword and 'rattling' denotes making a noisy, shaking sound, so the compound evokes the image of shaking weapons as a show of force. A B1 learner who knows the constituents can likely infer a threatening display of military force, but the specific political nuance (posturing without actual conflict) is somewhat idiomatic and not fully predictable.
Etymology
Saber rattling may come from old soldiers who shook their sabers so the metal made a loud rattling noise as a visible warning. So today saber rattling means 'showing or threatening force' to scare others without starting a real fight.