sabre-rattling

noun

A flamboyant display of military power as an implied threat that it might be used.

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Meanings

nounsabre-rattling (countable and uncountable, plural sabre-rattlings)

plural sabre-rattlings · alternative saber-rattling (mostly US) · alternative saber rattling (mostly US) · alternative sabre rattling

  1. countableidiomaticuncountableA flamboyant display of military power as an implied threat that it might be used.
  2. countablefigurativelyidiomaticuncountableAny threat, such as one company threatening another with a lawsuit.
verb

alternative saber-rattling (mostly US) · alternative saber rattling (mostly US) · alternative sabre rattling

  1. gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of sabre-rattle
adjectivesabre-rattling (comparative more sabre-rattling, superlative most sabre-rattling)

comparative more sabre-rattling · superlative most sabre-rattling · alternative saber-rattling (mostly US) · alternative saber rattling (mostly US) · alternative sabre rattling

  1. Bellicose; threatening military action.

    But it excited much discontent in sabre-rattling court circles which regarded Austrophilia as the most un-French of diplomatic perversions.

    2002, Colin Jones, The Great Nation, Penguin, published 2003, page 121

Origin

From the early 20th century, when an officer would threaten to draw his sabre.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian дръ́нкане на оръ́жие
  • дръ́нкане на оръ́жие (drắnkane na orắžie)display of military power as an implied threat
Chinese Mandarin 耀武揚威 /耀武扬威, 炫耀武力
  • 耀武揚威 /耀武扬威 (yàowǔ yángwēi)display of military power as an implied threat
  • 炫耀武力 (xuànyào wǔlì)display of military power as an implied threat
Dutch sabelgekletter, wapengekletter
  • sabelgekletterdisplay of military power as an implied threat
  • wapengekletterdisplay of military power as an implied threat
Finnish sapelinkalistelu, sapelinkalistelu
  • sapelinkalisteludisplay of military power as an implied threat
  • sapelinkalistelufiguratively: any threat
French bruits de bottes
  • bruits de bottesdisplay of military power as an implied threat
German Säbelrasseln, Säbelrasseln
  • Säbelrasselndisplay of military power as an implied threat
  • Säbelrasselnfiguratively: any threat
Hungarian kardcsörtetés
  • kardcsörtetésdisplay of military power as an implied threat
Italian tintinnar(e) di sciabole
  • tintinnar(e) di sciaboledisplay of military power as an implied threat
Japanese 威嚇的な武力
  • 威嚇的な武力 (ikakuteki na buryoku)display of military power as an implied threat
Polish pobrzękiwanie szabelką
  • pobrzękiwanie szabelkądisplay of military power as an implied threat
Russian бряца́ние ору́жием
  • бряца́ние ору́жием (brjacánije orúžijem)display of military power as an implied threat
Spanish ruido de sables
  • ruido de sablesdisplay of military power as an implied threat
Swedish sabelskrammel
  • sabelskrammeldisplay of military power as an implied threat
Ukrainian брязкоті́ння збро́єю
  • брязкоті́ння збро́єю (brjazkotínnja zbrójeju)display of military power as an implied threat
Cite this entry
APA

sabre-rattling. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sabre-rattling

MLA

“sabre-rattling.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sabre-rattling. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “sabre-rattling,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sabre-rattling.

Source: sabre-rattling on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.