# prime the pump

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/prime-the-pump
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To engage in deficit spending.

## Examples

- The government will prime the pump to help the economy grow.
- To encourage consumer spending during the recession, the central bank decided to prime the pump with new financial incentives.
- By injecting significant capital into infrastructure projects, the administration hoped to prime the pump and stimulate long-term industrial recovery across the struggling region.

## Origin

As an idiomatic term, from the 1930s. From the metaphor of filling (priming) a liquid pump in order to prepare it for operation.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.