Idioms

display of force

display of force

A display of one's power, influence, or capability to cause harm, meant to act as a warning or deterrent to others. The president said that such a display of force will be treated as an act of aggression by the foreign country and could lead to a declaration of war. The march by union organizers is intended as a display of force to politicians threatening to weaken their bargaining powers. What if these aren't just empty threats? What if they're followed by a display of force?
See also: display, force, of
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
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References in classic literature
He had advanced at first, but stopped at the sight of this display of force.
Display of force and some tough actions are needed there," he said.
"The defendant came in with two weapons and lined up some plastic water bottles against the wall and started firing pellets from an air pistol which penetrated the skirting board." He then fired the other weapon in an unwelcome "display of force" which was described by the prosecution as "extremely frightening and intimidating."
The reliance on and display of force by police has often ended up in encounters.
Angelo Kouame, Ateneo's center from Ivory Coast, was on his usual monster performance and finished with 22 points and 10 rebounds, while 12 of his teammates made their way to the score sheet in a powerful display of force as the Blue Eagles harnessed themselves for the Final Four with a front-running 12-win and two-loss card.
Last Thursday, China's Defense Ministry also slammed Washington's flyover of B-52 long-range, strategic bombers over the South China Sea, calling the display of force nothing short of "provocative".
In the privately-owned Al-Watan newspaper, Emad El-Din Adeeb commented on the strikes on Syria, saying that each party--the US, Britain, and France--had its own motive, while the outcome was "a display of force" allowed by Russia under the claim that it was "contained."
The Israeli display of force and diplomatic messages likely led to the project's termination while it was still in its infancy, although it's reasonable to assume from Monday's reports that the Iranians didn't give it up and simply moved it somewhere else in Lebanon.
The AC-130 gunship is a devastating display of force and firepower.
Pradera Verde lost a round for the first time in the PAL Ladies Interclub on Friday, but it was hardly enough to put a dent on what had been a clinical, overpowering display of force at Cebu Country Club here.
The display of force is designed to show President Vladimir Putin that "Nato forces are lined up in Europe", said a Whitehall source.
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