gunboat diplomacy

noun

: diplomacy backed by the use or threat of military force

Examples of gunboat diplomacy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Yet the White House may be reaching the limits of its gunboat diplomacy. — Bloomberg Opinion, Twin Cities, 26 Feb. 2026 Two centuries later, some classics never go out of style—gunboat diplomacy included. — Newsweek Editors, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2025 Rubio’s gunboat diplomacy cannot guarantee that Rodriguez can hold on to power, or that an armed opposition won’t rise and demand democracy or install a new dictator. — Chris Tomlinson, Houston Chronicle, 6 Jan. 2026 That geopolitical environment has further called for adaptation of gunboat diplomacy. — Andrew Latham, The Conversation, 20 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for gunboat diplomacy

Word History

First Known Use

1869, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gunboat diplomacy was in 1869

Browse Nearby Words

gunboat
gunboat diplomacy
gun breech
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Gunboat diplomacy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gunboat%20diplomacy. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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