sword of Damocles
noun phrase
sword of Dam·o·cles
-ˈda-mə-ˌklēz 
often capitalized S
: an impending disaster
Examples of sword of Damocles in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
And above us, dangling from the ceiling like the sword of Damocles, is a plastic model of the Hindenburg.
—
Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 20 July 2023
The regulators have preferred to treat WOTUS as a sword of Damocles rather than a law, instructing field agents to make case-by-case decisions pursuant to voluminous manuals, often with major regional variations.
—The Editors, National Review, 26 May 2023
The sword of Damocles hanging over the industry is whether the WGA stoppage will be joined from July 1, once current contracts lapse, by the Directors Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 15 May 2023
These actions constituted yet another example of Putin’s willingness to leverage his nuclear arsenal, dangling it like the sword of Damocles over the West in order to limit NATO’s support for Ukraine.
—Nina Tannenwald, Foreign Affairs, 24 Feb. 2023
The days where Democrats could dangle Proposition 187’s legacy over Republicans, like the sword of Damocles, would be done.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2023
Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 20 July 2023
The regulators have preferred to treat WOTUS as a sword of Damocles rather than a law, instructing field agents to make case-by-case decisions pursuant to voluminous manuals, often with major regional variations.
—The Editors, National Review, 26 May 2023
The sword of Damocles hanging over the industry is whether the WGA stoppage will be joined from July 1, once current contracts lapse, by the Directors Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 15 May 2023
These actions constituted yet another example of Putin’s willingness to leverage his nuclear arsenal, dangling it like the sword of Damocles over the West in order to limit NATO’s support for Ukraine.
—Nina Tannenwald, Foreign Affairs, 24 Feb. 2023
The days where Democrats could dangle Proposition 187’s legacy over Republicans, like the sword of Damocles, would be done.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sword of Damocles.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1820, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of sword of Damocles was
in 1820
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Cite this Entry
“Sword of Damocles.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sword%20of%20Damocles. Accessed 8 Dec. 2023.
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