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.

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

Thread the screws by hand to ensure the two pieces are lining up, then tighten the screws. —Kamron Sanders, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Aug. 2022

But the images of civilians dead in the street in Bucha led Western countries to levy more sanctions and tighten the screws on Moscow even further. —David Goldman, CNN, 6 Apr. 2022

Across Europe, national leaders have rallied together after Russia’s Feb. 24 invasion by pledging to arm Ukraine’s outgunned defenders, tighten the screws of sanctions on Moscow, and dial back the continent’s dependency on Russian natural gas. —Drew Hinshaw And Ian Lovett, WSJ, 3 Apr. 2022

In fact, the writer, who co-wrote the series with Marissa Lestrade, wanted to take advantage of an opportunity to deepen his characters and tighten the screws of the plot. —Emily Zemler, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2022

The Dolphins defense struggled against the run and on third downs earlier this year, but began to tighten the screws a month ago. —Omar Kelly, sun-sentinel.com, 14 Nov. 2021

Stocks are holding relatively steady, and yields are slumping Wednesday after the Federal Reserve announced its latest hike to interest rates, while hinting it may not tighten the screws much more on the economy and Wall Street. —Stan Choe, Fortune, 22 Mar. 2023

And the Fed continues to tighten the screws. —Russ Wiles, The Arizona Republic, 4 Dec. 2022

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, in a phone conversation with European Union Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, has pressed Europe to tighten the screws on Russia even further with a new round of sanctions. —David A. Andelman, CNN, 6 Sep. 2022

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