tightened 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

verb
  1. participlepastsimple past and past participle of tighten the purse strings
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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