saber-rattling
noun
sa·ber-rat·tling
ˈsā-bər-ˌrat-liŋ 
-ˌra-tᵊl-iŋ
variants
or saber rattling
or chiefly British sabre-rattling
or sabre rattling
: overtly and often exaggeratedly threatening actions or statements (such as verbal threats or ostentatious displays of military power) that are meant to intimidate an enemy by suggesting possible use of force
But Jager insists that North Korean saber-rattling was aimed mostly at extorting economic aid from Washington, Seoul and other governments anxious to preserve peace at almost any price.—
Mark Atwood Lawrence
Mark Atwood LawrenceIran's noisy saber rattling is only the latest lurch in its erratic foreign policy.—John Greenwald
John Greenwald
broadly
: threatening statements or actions
The U.S. central bank has been saber-rattling for months regarding interest rate hikes but has yet to pull the trigger amid uneven economic data. —Jeff Fox
Jeff Fox For months now, the card companies have been threatening to cut rewards programs sharply to make up for revenue lost because of the new restrictions. My guess, however, is that this talk is just so much saber-rattling. —Ron Lieber
Ron Lieber Examples of saber-rattling in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth claimed the U.S. military was sending more troops to bases in Panama, an apparent retreat from Trump’s previous saber-rattling threat to take back the Panama Canal.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 10 Apr. 2025
Finally, saber-rattling with Iran is another example of an erratic and unfocused president.
—Raja Krishnamoorthi, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Apr. 2025
Protectionism, saber-rattling and economic uncertainty will temporarily starve cleantech of affordable materials—and the tourist investors who predicated their bets on tax rebates.
—Wal Van Lierop, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
But Maduro has so far been the only world leader to spin the saber-rattling trend into territorial threats against the United States.
—Rafael Bernal, The Hill, 14 Jan. 2025
Rouhani speaks for part of the Iranian establishment that rejects Khamenei’s saber-rattling against the U.S. and Israel on pragmatic grounds.
—Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 14 Jan. 2025
The Republican will stride back into the Oval Office on January 20 with the world a more dangerous place than during his first term, with nuclear saber-rattling rife and experimental ballistic missiles bringing fresh attention to how Washington plans to protect U.S. soil.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 4 Jan. 2025
Despite the consistent but ultimately hollow saber-rattling from Russian leader Vladimir Putin, the fact remains that neither Putin ...
—Dan Crenshaw, National Review, 22 Nov. 2024
The incident follows nuclear saber-rattling from Russian President Vladimir Putin, who updated his nuclear doctrine Tuesday to say an attack from a nonnuclear armed state on Russia but with the support of a nuclear-armed state would be considered a joint attack.
—Brad Dress, The Hill, 21 Nov. 2024
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Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 10 Apr. 2025
Finally, saber-rattling with Iran is another example of an erratic and unfocused president.
—Raja Krishnamoorthi, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Apr. 2025
Protectionism, saber-rattling and economic uncertainty will temporarily starve cleantech of affordable materials—and the tourist investors who predicated their bets on tax rebates.
—Wal Van Lierop, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
But Maduro has so far been the only world leader to spin the saber-rattling trend into territorial threats against the United States.
—Rafael Bernal, The Hill, 14 Jan. 2025
Rouhani speaks for part of the Iranian establishment that rejects Khamenei’s saber-rattling against the U.S. and Israel on pragmatic grounds.
—Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 14 Jan. 2025
The Republican will stride back into the Oval Office on January 20 with the world a more dangerous place than during his first term, with nuclear saber-rattling rife and experimental ballistic missiles bringing fresh attention to how Washington plans to protect U.S. soil.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 4 Jan. 2025
Despite the consistent but ultimately hollow saber-rattling from Russian leader Vladimir Putin, the fact remains that neither Putin ...
—Dan Crenshaw, National Review, 22 Nov. 2024
The incident follows nuclear saber-rattling from Russian President Vladimir Putin, who updated his nuclear doctrine Tuesday to say an attack from a nonnuclear armed state on Russia but with the support of a nuclear-armed state would be considered a joint attack.
—Brad Dress, The Hill, 21 Nov. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Saber-rattling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/saber-rattling. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.
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