carrot-and-stick
adjective
car·rot-and-stick
ˌker-ət-ᵊn-ˈstik 
ˌka-rət-
: characterized by the use of both reward and punishment to induce cooperation
carrot-and-stick foreign policy
the carrot-and-stick style of sales management
Examples of carrot-and-stick in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Gun violence prevention On Thursday, lawmakers will debate a carrot in the carrot-and-stick strategy of gun violence prevention.
—
Nick Coltrain, The Denver Post, 3 Feb. 2025
Trump's world view revolves around showing strength, a carrot-and-stick approach that usually is short on rewards and long on threats.
—Marc Caputo, Axios, 28 Jan. 2025
The winner was a carrot-and-stick combo, a donation not only made from the goodness of the heart but one that was good for the bottom line.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 6 Dec. 2024
Biden ran a carrot-and-stick approach to border enforcement.
—Rafael Bernal, The Hill, 20 Nov. 2024
The willingness to spend truckloads on both Democratic and Republican candidates makes clear that the industry is using a carrot-and-stick strategy.
—Whizy Kim, Vox, 13 Sep. 2024
Since our calls to padlock these places seem to be going nowhere, maybe a carrot-and-stick approach could move the needle.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 19 Mar. 2024
This thinking was buttressed by what Israel believed was an effective carrot-and-stick approach: Hamas was deterred, Israeli officials assessed, and it was increasingly incentivized to avoid conflict by the gradual loosening of the Israeli-Egyptian blockade of Gaza.
—Natan Sachs, Foreign Affairs, 19 Jan. 2024
The program uses a carrot-and-stick approach to tackling gun violence.
—Sean Kennedy, Baltimore Sun, 9 May 2024
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Nick Coltrain, The Denver Post, 3 Feb. 2025
Trump's world view revolves around showing strength, a carrot-and-stick approach that usually is short on rewards and long on threats.
—Marc Caputo, Axios, 28 Jan. 2025
The winner was a carrot-and-stick combo, a donation not only made from the goodness of the heart but one that was good for the bottom line.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 6 Dec. 2024
Biden ran a carrot-and-stick approach to border enforcement.
—Rafael Bernal, The Hill, 20 Nov. 2024
The willingness to spend truckloads on both Democratic and Republican candidates makes clear that the industry is using a carrot-and-stick strategy.
—Whizy Kim, Vox, 13 Sep. 2024
Since our calls to padlock these places seem to be going nowhere, maybe a carrot-and-stick approach could move the needle.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 19 Mar. 2024
This thinking was buttressed by what Israel believed was an effective carrot-and-stick approach: Hamas was deterred, Israeli officials assessed, and it was increasingly incentivized to avoid conflict by the gradual loosening of the Israeli-Egyptian blockade of Gaza.
—Natan Sachs, Foreign Affairs, 19 Jan. 2024
The program uses a carrot-and-stick approach to tackling gun violence.
—Sean Kennedy, Baltimore Sun, 9 May 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Carrot-and-stick.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carrot-and-stick. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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