holds someone's feet to the fire

A form of hold someone's feet to the fire — To maintain personal, social, political, or legal pressure on someone in order to induce them to comply with one's desires; to hold someone accountable for their actions.

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Meanings

verb
  1. indicativepresentsingularthird personthird-person singular simple present indicative of hold someone's feet to the fire
Cite this entry
APA

holds someone's feet to the fire. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/holds%20someone's%20feet%20to%20the%20fire

MLA

“holds someone's feet to the fire.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/holds%20someone's%20feet%20to%20the%20fire. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “holds someone's feet to the fire,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/holds%20someone's%20feet%20to%20the%20fire.

Source: holds someone's feet to the fire on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.