purse strings

plural noun

: financial resources

also : control over these resources

Examples of purse strings in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Agnes once controlled the purse strings, but her wayward son Oscar (Blake Ritson) fell for a Ponzi scheme, costing them their fortune. — Brent Lang, IndieWire, 28 Oct. 2026

And while the consumer appears to be willing to continue to open their purse strings, no one really knows when that could stop. — Vicki M. Young, Footwear News, 23 Oct. 2026

The calls heap pressure on the coalition government to loosen its purse strings, threatening to undermine its reputation for fiscal discipline just as Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana prepares to present his three-year fiscal plan later this month. — Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 7 Oct. 2026

Shares of Arhaus have fallen nearly 31% year to date as macroeconomic and geopolitical issues have led consumers to tighten their purse strings and put pressure on margins. — Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 21 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1530, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for purse strings

• brings
• clings
• dings
• flings
• kings
• lings
• pings
• rings
• sings
• slings
• stings
• swings