saber-rattling or sabre-rattling
📖 Definitions
noun
Threatening words or action, for example, in the form of a flamboyant display of military power.
💬 Usage Examples
“Word just came down that something is heating up between Egypt and Israel. Probably only a bunch of saber-rattling, but it could turn serious.” Kim Barnes; In the Kingdom of Men; Knopf; 2012.