# tighten the purse strings

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/tighten-the-purse-strings
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To decrease spending or disallow increased spending; to increase control of spending.

## Examples

- We must tighten the purse strings this month.
- After the company lost its biggest client, the manager decided to tighten the purse strings on all travel expenses.
- Faced with a sudden economic downturn, the government chose to tighten the purse strings, effectively halting several ambitious infrastructure projects across the country.

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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.