The idiom "tighten the screws" means to increase pressure or control on someone or something. It is often used to describe a situation where someone is being forced to comply with rules or expectations, or where a person or organization is being subjected to greater scrutiny or regulation.
For example, a boss might say to an employee, "I'm going to have to tighten the screws if you don't start meeting your targets," meaning that they will impose stricter rules or consequences if the employee does not improve their performance.
Similarly, a government might "tighten the screws" on a particular industry by introducing new regulations or increasing taxes, in order to exert greater control over it.
Overall, the idiom "tighten the screws" implies a sense of pressure or restriction, and is often used in situations where someone is trying to exert greater control or influence over a person or organization.
• The government decided to tighten the screws on immigration policies.
• The company CEO instructed the HR department to tighten the screws on the hiring process to ensure only the best candidates were selected.
• The coach had to tighten the screws on the team's training regimen to prepare for the championship.
• In order to win the election, the political campaign team decided to tighten the screws on their strategy and increase their advertising budget.
• The boss decided to tighten the screws on the employees by increasing their workload.
• The mechanic had to tighten the screws on my bicycle to fix it.