stick with which to beat (someone)
idiom
British, informal
: something that is used to attack or punish (someone) or to make an attack or punishment seem reasonable or right
The fee is just another stick with which to beat the unions.
Examples of stick with which to beat (someone) in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Some observers think this broadband initiative by Google is merely a stick with which to beat US government regulators and other network providers with over the slow rollout of ultra-high speed broadband across America, reports ComputerWorld.
—
IEEE Spectrum, 11 Feb. 2010
But to use this case as a stick with which to beat the BBC as a news provider would be wrong.
—The Week Uk, theweek, 10 Aug. 2024
Ever since, Russia has used Bandera as a stick with which to beat the Ukrainian national movement.
—Anna Reid, Foreign Affairs, 6 Apr. 2022
Republicans say that the Democrats just want a stick with which to beat them.
—Nr Editors, National Review, 27 May 2021
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IEEE Spectrum, 11 Feb. 2010
But to use this case as a stick with which to beat the BBC as a news provider would be wrong.
—The Week Uk, theweek, 10 Aug. 2024
Ever since, Russia has used Bandera as a stick with which to beat the Ukrainian national movement.
—Anna Reid, Foreign Affairs, 6 Apr. 2022
Republicans say that the Democrats just want a stick with which to beat them.
—Nr Editors, National Review, 27 May 2021
Cite this Entry
“Stick with which to beat (someone).” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stick%20with%20which%20to%20beat%20%28someone%29. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025.
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