Do not make the mistake of thinking this an empty threat.

"He tried to turn things around one more time with his empty threats," she said.

Was that threat empty, or had his failure allowed it to come in its own time?

So in some ways the policy rests on an empty threat.

For a moment, as she looked into his hot male gaze, it didn't sound like an empty threat at all.

Make empty threats about what you'll do if he doesn't change.

It was an empty threat - for now, at least - but she wouldn't know that.

It was known that his were never empty threats they came to terms with him.

But she knew Adam well enough by now to know he wouldn't make empty threats.

But the practical effect of empty threats is the same.

A member of the audience asked, "What's the difference between an idle threat and a real risk?"

But he and I both knew also that idle threats work sometimes.

"For those who think this is an idle threat, guess again."

The company thought it was an idle threat until the youth said he would bring down part of the company's computer system - and did.

The others knew that Tom's words were no idle threat.

But she had a feeling it wasn't an idle threat.

From the dead tone of the other's voice, it was no idle threat.

From a member of the Hussein family, it was no idle threat.

Now the announcement of a price increase is often an idle threat.

It could be idle threats but children like my son are saying why would they want to do this?