tighten the purse strings
To decrease spending or disallow increased spending; to increase control of spending.
...would have the opposite effect entirely, and would tighten the purse-strings of capitalists and the employers of...
tighten
UK /ˈtaɪ.tən/ US /ˈtaɪ.tən/
verb 4
Definitions
verb
1
To make tighter.
Please tighten that screw a quarter-turn.
Just where I please, with tighten;d rein / I'll urge thee round the dusty plain.
2
To become tighter.
That joint is tightening as the wood dries.
3
To make money harder to borrow or obtain.
If the government doesn't tighten the money supply, inflation is certain to be harsh.
4
To raise short-term interest rates.
The Fed is expected to tighten by a quarter-point.
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