tighten the screw
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put (or turn or tighten) the screw (or screws) on — informal exert strong psychological pressure on. → screw … English new terms dictionary
tighten the screws — To increase pressure (esp on someone to do something) • • • Main Entry: ↑tight * * * tighten the screws 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. • … Useful english dictionary
turn the screw — ▪ To apply (physical, moral, etc) pressure progressively ▪ To exact payment ● screw * * * turn (or tighten) the screw (or screws) informal exert strong pressure on someone … Useful english dictionary
tighten the screws on someone — put/tighten/turn/the screws on someone informal phrase to put more pressure on someone to do something, for example by threatening them His creditors were putting the screws on him. Thesaurus: to nag or force someone to do something … Useful english dictionary
tighten — [[t]ta͟ɪt(ə)n[/t]] tightens, tightening, tightened 1) V ERG If you tighten your grip on something, or if your grip tightens, you hold the thing more firmly or securely. [V n] Luke answered by tightening his grip on her shoulder... [V prep] Her… … English dictionary
screw — [[t]skru͟ː[/t]] screws, screwing, screwed 1) N COUNT A screw is a metal object similar to a nail, with a raised spiral line around it. You turn a screw using a screwdriver so that it goes through two things, for example two pieces of wood, and… … English dictionary
screw — noun 1》 a short, slender, sharp pointed metal pin with a raised helical thread running around it and a slotted head, used to join things together by being rotated in under pressure. ↘a cylinder with a helical ridge or thread running round the … English new terms dictionary
screw — [skro͞o] n. [ME screwe < MFr escroue, hole in which the screw turns < L scrofa, sow, infl. by scrobis, vulva] 1. a) a mechanical device for fastening things together, consisting essentially of a cylindrical or conical piece of metal… … English World dictionary
Screw thread — Internal and external threads illustrated using a common nut and bolt. The screw and nut pair can be used to convert torque into linear force. As the screw (or bolt) is rotated, the screw moves along its axis through the fixed nut, or the non… … Wikipedia
screw — screw1 [skru:] n [Date: 1400 1500; : Old French; Origin: escroe inner screw, nut , from Latin scrofa female pig ] 1.) a thin pointed piece of metal that you push and turn in order to fasten pieces of metal or wood together →↑nail ▪ Fix the frame… … Dictionary of contemporary English
