shows of force
Displays of power
Shows of force are displays of military or police power intended to intimidate, deter, or demonstrate capability without engaging in actual combat.
A naval fleet sailing near contested waters, troops massing at a border, or riot police lining up at a protest—all are shows of force.
The goal is usually to achieve a political objective through implied threat rather than violence: The carrier group's presence in the strait was a show of force aimed at discouraging further aggression.
- war gamesSimulated combat training
- marchRhythmic group walk
- tanksStorage vessels for liquids
- intimidation tacticsFear-based coercion methods
- chest thumpingShowy self-aggrandizement
armor · combat drills · ceremonial uniforms · propaganda campaigns · rifles · symbolic gestures · red lines · military alliances · bullying · missile tests · mob mentality · saber-rattling · border patrols · peer pressure · naval exercises · troop movements · aircraft carriers · boots
- statecraftdiplomacy, ambassadors, envoys, summits, sanctions
- coercionduress, coercing, compelling, threat, demands
shows of forcepeace offerings
Gifts meant to reconcile
olive branches · de-escalation · appeasement · détente · rapprochement
shows of forcearmed conflict
Military combat between groups
military engagement · military action · warfare · hostilities · hot war
show, shows, showed, shown, showing, showy, showily, showiness, force