jawboning
noun
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In the late 1800s, the noun jawbone meant "credit" (as in his money's gone, so he lives on jawbone), which was probably influenced by the practice of coaxing others to lend money by promising to pay it back. By the mid-1960s the verb to jawbone, meaning "to talk about to gain some end," was appearing regularly in the media. The noun jawboning made its print debut at the end of that decade, in reference to rhetorical practices that influenced the actions of the wealthy and powerful. All of these uses were likely influenced by the verb jaw, which has long been used with the meanings "to talk" or "to scold."
Examples of jawboning in a Sentence
Adi Robertson, The Verge, 7 Jan. 2025
The report also pointed to Supreme Court justices citing the committee’s findings in Murthy v. Missouri, a decision about social media jawboning.
—Ashley Oliver, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 20 Dec. 2024
Nor have companies been shamed into cutting prices by presidential jawboning (despite President Biden’s recent claims).
—Aden Barton, Washington Post, 15 July 2024
That combination of screening, vigilance and jawboning has allowed the two fintechs to charge lower premiums, winning the favor of insurance brokers and a foothold in the market.
—Danielle Chemtob, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2024
The release increases the pressure on the end-of-month Politburo meeting as jawboning has fallen on deaf ears as investors want tangible measures implemented.
—Brendan Ahern, Forbes, 17 July 2023
Clearly the bond market believes that the Fed’s jawboning will be backed with action.
—Raul Elizalde, Forbes, 13 Apr. 2022
But the jawboning didn’t work, Greenberg noted.
—Robert T. Garrett, Dallas News, 24 Feb. 2021
Another reason for the endless jawboning about bones is mass confusion over how best to strengthen your skeleton and whether diet and supplements really make a difference.
—Claudia Wallis, Scientific American, 1 Jan. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Jawboning.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jawboning. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
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