tighten the purse-strings

A form of tighten the purse strings — To decrease spending or disallow increased spending; to increase control of spending.

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Meanings

verbtighten the purse-strings (third-person singular simple present tightens the purse-strings, present participle tightening the purse-strings, simple past and past participle tightened the purse-strings)

present singular third person tightens the purse-strings · participle present tightening the purse-strings · participle past tightened the purse-strings · past tightened the purse-strings

  1. alternativeAlternative form of tighten the purse strings.
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

“tighten the purse-strings.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tighten%20the%20purse-strings. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “tighten the purse-strings,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tighten%20the%20purse-strings.

Source: tighten the purse-strings on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.