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

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But Miami needs to find a run-stuffing inside linebacker who can help the defense tighten the screws. Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 21 Feb. 2025 If confirmed, as is widely expected, Rubio will be perfectly situated to further tighten the screws on Cuba perhaps to the island’s breaking point. Patrick Oppmann, CNN, 8 Dec. 2024 But rates are already at a sky-high 21%, meaning additional increases would tighten the screws even more on Russia’s economy. Jason Ma, Fortune, 30 Nov. 2024 And the return of Trump to the White House could tip the scales even further toward Singapore, as the incoming president threatens to tighten the screws on China. Nicholas Gordon, Fortune Asia, 27 Nov. 2024 See All Example Sentences for tighten the screws

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“Tighten the screws.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tighten%20the%20screws. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.

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