balance of power
noun phrase
: an equilibrium of power sufficient to discourage or prevent one nation or party from imposing its will on or interfering with the interests of another
Examples of balance of power in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
This assertion of state sovereignty, however, threatens to overturn the constitutional balance of power set by the Civil War and Reconstruction.
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TIME, 5 Apr. 2024
Of a balance of power that favored the person behind the camera over the person in front of it, authoring a story for Europeans, by Europeans.
—Thomas Page, CNN, 1 Mar. 2024
After the 1979 Iranian Revolution flipped Tehran from friend to enemy, however, Washington put its hopes in a balance of power, manipulating aid to both Iraq and Iran during their brutal war to prevent either country from dominating the Persian Gulf.
—Gideon Rose, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024
Of course, Beijing’s nuclear balance of power with Washington is significantly different from that of Moscow during the Cold War, when the United States and the Soviet Union achieved a rough parity in forces.
—Andrew F. Krepinevich, Foreign Affairs, 12 Dec. 2023
Zhao presents a robust and empirically rich rebuttal of the realist theory that China’s foreign policy is the straightforward product of its geostrategic position and the broader balance of power.
—Suisheng Zhao, Foreign Affairs, 12 Dec. 2023
The 49th is among a handful of California battleground districts that have been pivotal in determining that balance of power in the House since 2018, when incumbent Democrat Mike Levin was first elected.
—Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Dec. 2023
In Brussels, there is a growing sense that Ukrainian membership would shift the E.U.’s balance of power, impact its agricultural market and upend its budget.
—Beatriz Ríos, Washington Post, 15 Dec. 2023
The result has not been the happy formation of a new balance of power but rather a vacuum that regional players have aggressively sought to fill.
—Fareed Zakaria, Foreign Affairs, 12 Dec. 2023
TIME, 5 Apr. 2024
Of a balance of power that favored the person behind the camera over the person in front of it, authoring a story for Europeans, by Europeans.
—Thomas Page, CNN, 1 Mar. 2024
After the 1979 Iranian Revolution flipped Tehran from friend to enemy, however, Washington put its hopes in a balance of power, manipulating aid to both Iraq and Iran during their brutal war to prevent either country from dominating the Persian Gulf.
—Gideon Rose, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024
Of course, Beijing’s nuclear balance of power with Washington is significantly different from that of Moscow during the Cold War, when the United States and the Soviet Union achieved a rough parity in forces.
—Andrew F. Krepinevich, Foreign Affairs, 12 Dec. 2023
Zhao presents a robust and empirically rich rebuttal of the realist theory that China’s foreign policy is the straightforward product of its geostrategic position and the broader balance of power.
—Suisheng Zhao, Foreign Affairs, 12 Dec. 2023
The 49th is among a handful of California battleground districts that have been pivotal in determining that balance of power in the House since 2018, when incumbent Democrat Mike Levin was first elected.
—Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Dec. 2023
In Brussels, there is a growing sense that Ukrainian membership would shift the E.U.’s balance of power, impact its agricultural market and upend its budget.
—Beatriz Ríos, Washington Post, 15 Dec. 2023
The result has not been the happy formation of a new balance of power but rather a vacuum that regional players have aggressively sought to fill.
—Fareed Zakaria, Foreign Affairs, 12 Dec. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'balance of power.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near balance of power
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“Balance of power.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/balance%20of%20power. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
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