crack the whip

verb

To make harsh demands in a position of leadership.

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Meanings

verbcrack the whip (third-person singular simple present cracks the whip, present participle cracked the whip, simple past and past participle cracked the whip)

present singular third person cracks the whip · participle present cracked the whip · participle past cracked the whip · past cracked the whip

  1. figurativelyTo make harsh demands in a position of leadership.
noun
  1. alternativeAlternative form of crack-the-whip.
Cite this entry
APA

crack the whip. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/crack%20the%20whip

MLA

“crack the whip.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/crack%20the%20whip. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “crack the whip,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/crack%20the%20whip.

Source: crack the whip on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.