idle threat
noun
: a threat that a person does not really mean to follow through with
She said she would leave him, but he knew it was an idle threat.
Examples of idle threat in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
And today Newsom’s lawsuit has a hearing in federal courts to end the military deployments even as the governor is facing idle threats of arrest from Homan and Trump himself.
—
New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 12 June 2025
But such a deal is unlikely to materialize in that timeframe and these are no longer idle threats.
—Jeremy Diamond, CNN Money, 6 May 2025
That’s not just an idle threat, as Trump has shown in pulling back federal funds promised for universities and strong-arming law firms that have opposed him in court cases.
—George Skelton, Mercury News, 25 Apr. 2025
What’s more, these are not just idle threats, for want of a better term.
—Davey Winder, Forbes.com, 19 Apr. 2025
Active Russian preparations for future cyber-operations indicate that this not an idle threat.
—David Cattler, Foreign Affairs, 6 Apr. 2022
Each successive idle threat invites an adversary to test boundaries even more than the last time, and so the consequences of bluffing grow increasingly perilous.
—James A. Nathan, Foreign Affairs, 11 Oct. 2012
Maric was excused for an idle threat and a rookie mistake, and the teams have this year continued to play in Hartford in front of large crowds.
—Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 11 Feb. 2024
Warnings of impending storms are not idle threats, according to AccuWeather.
—Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Mar. 2024
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New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 12 June 2025
But such a deal is unlikely to materialize in that timeframe and these are no longer idle threats.
—Jeremy Diamond, CNN Money, 6 May 2025
That’s not just an idle threat, as Trump has shown in pulling back federal funds promised for universities and strong-arming law firms that have opposed him in court cases.
—George Skelton, Mercury News, 25 Apr. 2025
What’s more, these are not just idle threats, for want of a better term.
—Davey Winder, Forbes.com, 19 Apr. 2025
Active Russian preparations for future cyber-operations indicate that this not an idle threat.
—David Cattler, Foreign Affairs, 6 Apr. 2022
Each successive idle threat invites an adversary to test boundaries even more than the last time, and so the consequences of bluffing grow increasingly perilous.
—James A. Nathan, Foreign Affairs, 11 Oct. 2012
Maric was excused for an idle threat and a rookie mistake, and the teams have this year continued to play in Hartford in front of large crowds.
—Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 11 Feb. 2024
Warnings of impending storms are not idle threats, according to AccuWeather.
—Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Mar. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Idle threat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/idle%20threat. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
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