tighten the purse strings
idiom
: to make less money available for spending
School administrators are already tightening the purse strings.
Examples of tighten the purse strings in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The government is likely to have tighten the purse strings this year — a stark contrast to last year’s budget, which was littered with one-off giveaways for taxpayers.
—
Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 23 June 2025
One of the big sticking points with government funding is from House Republicans who want to tighten the purse strings on Ukraine aid.
—Nicole Fallert, USA TODAY, 29 Nov. 2022
Historically, when venture capitalists tighten the purse strings and shareholders in public companies start demanding answers, the tech industry is forced to cut back in areas that aren’t viable businesses and focus on what can actually generate value for their customers—and revenue for themselves.
—Christopher Mims, WSJ, 29 Oct. 2022
The central bank has already taken steps to tighten the purse strings, in part by raising interest rates in March and in May.
—Rob Wile, NBC News, 3 June 2022
The Covid-19 pandemic has only heightened the need for partners, as venture capitalists tighten the purse strings on big bets like self-driving.
—Aarian Marshall, Wired, 7 July 2020
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Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 23 June 2025
One of the big sticking points with government funding is from House Republicans who want to tighten the purse strings on Ukraine aid.
—Nicole Fallert, USA TODAY, 29 Nov. 2022
Historically, when venture capitalists tighten the purse strings and shareholders in public companies start demanding answers, the tech industry is forced to cut back in areas that aren’t viable businesses and focus on what can actually generate value for their customers—and revenue for themselves.
—Christopher Mims, WSJ, 29 Oct. 2022
The central bank has already taken steps to tighten the purse strings, in part by raising interest rates in March and in May.
—Rob Wile, NBC News, 3 June 2022
The Covid-19 pandemic has only heightened the need for partners, as venture capitalists tighten the purse strings on big bets like self-driving.
—Aarian Marshall, Wired, 7 July 2020
Cite this Entry
“Tighten the purse strings.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tighten%20the%20purse%20strings. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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