rattle one's sabre

English

Verb

rattle one's sabre (third-person singular simple present rattles one's sabre, present participle rattling one's sabre, simple past and past participle rattled one's sabre)

1. Alternative form of sabre-rattle
   • 2006, Theodore Roszak, World, Beware!: American Triumphalism in an Age of Terror, page 96:

     Policies like these, which come close to being plunder, would seem to violate international law, but Washington's response to that is simply to rattle its sabre.

   • 2014, Michael Bloch, Jeremy Thorpe:

     While unfailingly courteous to the jury, he could be quite sharp with counsel and witnesses, and rattle his sabre at the press: his first reported words in the case were that any journalist thinking of interviewing a juror 'had better bring a toothbrush'.

   • 2019, Erwin Warkentin, The Political Warfare Executive Syllabus Volume I:

     It began to emerge from its hiatus in October of 1935 as planning for a new ministry began as Germany began to rattle its sabre once more.

2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see rattle,‎ sabre.

Anagrams

• rattle one's saber