by force of arms
idiom
: by using weapons : by military action
He feels that this conflict can only be resolved by force of arms.
Examples of by force of arms in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Experts and ordinary citizens alike care about defending a peaceful world order in which dictators don’t change boundaries by force of arms and don’t suppress peoples’ desires for self-government.
—
William A. Galston, WSJ, 20 Sep. 2022
Countries win wars through economic resilience, not by force of arms alone.
—Robert B. Zoellick, WSJ, 26 Oct. 2022
In that case, deterring Beijing from any attempt to resolve the Taiwan issue by force of arms may require a firm declaration of American intent.
—Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 22 Sep. 2022
For if that democracy is not worth defending by force of arms, what country is worth defending?
—David Rieff, The New Republic, 24 May 2022
The sanctions that the U.S. and its allies are preparing will be much easier to sustain in the long run if Putin eliminates a sovereign state from the international system by force of arms — something that has been a rarity since the Second World War.
—David Faris, The Week, 22 Feb. 2022
The cease-fire lines brokered by Moscow almost exactly follow the diplomatic settlement that the international community had advocated for almost 30 years, but they were achieved by force of arms.
—Fred Weir, The Christian Science Monitor, 30 Nov. 2020
William A. Galston, WSJ, 20 Sep. 2022
Countries win wars through economic resilience, not by force of arms alone.
—Robert B. Zoellick, WSJ, 26 Oct. 2022
In that case, deterring Beijing from any attempt to resolve the Taiwan issue by force of arms may require a firm declaration of American intent.
—Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 22 Sep. 2022
For if that democracy is not worth defending by force of arms, what country is worth defending?
—David Rieff, The New Republic, 24 May 2022
The sanctions that the U.S. and its allies are preparing will be much easier to sustain in the long run if Putin eliminates a sovereign state from the international system by force of arms — something that has been a rarity since the Second World War.
—David Faris, The Week, 22 Feb. 2022
The cease-fire lines brokered by Moscow almost exactly follow the diplomatic settlement that the international community had advocated for almost 30 years, but they were achieved by force of arms.
—Fred Weir, The Christian Science Monitor, 30 Nov. 2020
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'by force of arms.' 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 by force of arms
Cite this Entry
“By force of arms.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/by%20force%20of%20arms. Accessed 27 Apr. 2024.
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