Synonyms

purse strings

American

plural noun

the right or power to manage the disposition of money.

in control of the family purse strings.

idioms

hold the purse strings, to have the power to determine how money shall be spent.
loosen / tighten the purse strings, to increase or decrease expenditures or the availability of money.

The budget committee is in the process of tightening the purse strings.

purse strings British

plural noun

control of finance or expenditure (esp in such phrases as hold or control the purse strings )

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

purse strings More Idioms

Financial resources or control of them, as in His mother doesn't want to let go of the purse strings because he may make some foolish investments. This expression is often extended to, as in As long as Dad holds the purse strings, we have to consider his wishes, or The company is tightening the purse strings and will not be hiring many new people this year. The purse strings in this idiom are the means of opening and closing a drawstring purse. [Early 1400s]

Etymology

Origin of purse strings

late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Despite a better-than-feared budget in November, persistent economic and political volatility has left households hesitant to open the purse strings.

From The Wall Street Journal

“We are somewhat surprised that NWG appear to have come out on top, given how tightly the CEO holds the bank’s purse strings,” he notes.

From The Wall Street Journal

The policy at corporate was the Customer Is Always Right, though the customer was not usually the resident but the relatives who controlled the purse strings.

From Literature

Medicare Advantage has been adjusting to tighter government purse strings for some time.

From The Wall Street Journal

Economists believe consumers continued to tighten their purse strings in October.

From Barron's

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023