tighten the screws
idiom
informal
: to put more pressure on someone or something to do something
We need to tighten the screws on people who've been evading the tax.
Examples of tighten the screws in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Trump has made little secret of his desire to tighten the screws.
—
Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 24 Jan. 2026
The phrase Barbut used was à droit constant—tighten the screws without rewriting the law.
—Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 23 Jan. 2026
As air carriers tighten the screws on passengers carrying their luggage on board, these little accessories can make a big difference.
—Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 18 Jan. 2026
Iran’s once cunning and innovative foreign policy has ground to a halt, with no diplomatic breakthrough in sight as Western powers tighten the screws through relentless sanctions.
—Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 30 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tighten the screws
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Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 24 Jan. 2026
The phrase Barbut used was à droit constant—tighten the screws without rewriting the law.
—Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 23 Jan. 2026
As air carriers tighten the screws on passengers carrying their luggage on board, these little accessories can make a big difference.
—Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 18 Jan. 2026
Iran’s once cunning and innovative foreign policy has ground to a halt, with no diplomatic breakthrough in sight as Western powers tighten the screws through relentless sanctions.
—Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 30 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tighten the screws
Cite this Entry
“Tighten the screws.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tighten%20the%20screws. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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