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
The case demonstrates the extent of the U.S. commitment to tighten the screws on those seen as aiding Russian elites, even if they themselves are not closely tied to the Kremlin.
—
Catherine Belton, Washington Post, 14 Mar. 2024
But after achieving payment parity between MA and traditional Medicare, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has continued to tighten the screws on MA plans.
—Avik Roy, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024
As Washington once again seeks to tighten the screws, Tehran sees its relationship with Beijing as key to remaining afloat.
—Dina Esfandiary, Foreign Affairs, 20 July 2018
Others sense an opportunity to further tighten the screws on Budapest.
—Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 2 Feb. 2024
Sure, Chris Paul and Draymond Green’s absences are felt, and their returns could at least shore up the communication on defense and tighten the screws on offense.
—Shayna Rubin, The Mercury News, 11 Jan. 2024
A lot of people say Putin might use this situation to shuffle his top military leaders and tighten the screws in general.
—Fred Weir, The Christian Science Monitor, 26 June 2023
With the Fed determined to bring down inflation, the latest CPI release plays a major role in just how much more the central bank will want to tighten the screws on businesses and individuals looking to borrow money.
—Telis Demos, WSJ, 14 June 2023
In an attempt to further tighten the screws on Russia, the EU is preparing its eleventh sanctions proposal, according to Bloomberg.
—Aurora Almendral, Quartz, 3 May 2023
Catherine Belton, Washington Post, 14 Mar. 2024
But after achieving payment parity between MA and traditional Medicare, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has continued to tighten the screws on MA plans.
—Avik Roy, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024
As Washington once again seeks to tighten the screws, Tehran sees its relationship with Beijing as key to remaining afloat.
—Dina Esfandiary, Foreign Affairs, 20 July 2018
Others sense an opportunity to further tighten the screws on Budapest.
—Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 2 Feb. 2024
Sure, Chris Paul and Draymond Green’s absences are felt, and their returns could at least shore up the communication on defense and tighten the screws on offense.
—Shayna Rubin, The Mercury News, 11 Jan. 2024
A lot of people say Putin might use this situation to shuffle his top military leaders and tighten the screws in general.
—Fred Weir, The Christian Science Monitor, 26 June 2023
With the Fed determined to bring down inflation, the latest CPI release plays a major role in just how much more the central bank will want to tighten the screws on businesses and individuals looking to borrow money.
—Telis Demos, WSJ, 14 June 2023
In an attempt to further tighten the screws on Russia, the EU is preparing its eleventh sanctions proposal, according to Bloomberg.
—Aurora Almendral, Quartz, 3 May 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tighten the screws.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near 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 26 Apr. 2024.
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