Example
“The city used a carrot-and-stick policy of tax credits and fines to reduce pollution.”
Dictionary details
Related idioms
Expressions connected by reviewed component words or topic tags.
hockey stick
CEFR B2a pattern of slow or flat growth followed by a sudden, dramatic rise
Neutral
throw it at the wall and see what sticks
CEFR B2to try many ideas quickly, keeping only the ones that work
Informal
force someone's hand
CEFR B2To pressure someone into acting, often sooner than they had planned.
Neutral
free rein
CEFR B2complete freedom to make choices or act without interference
Neutral
hold the purse strings
CEFR B2to control a budget and decide how money may be spent
Neutral
play for time
CEFR B2to delay deliberately in order to prepare or avoid an immediate outcome
Neutral
Source methodology
Meanings, register, CEFR, and examples come from the reviewed dictionary record. Expression notes may describe a reviewed present-day word picture or a background note; they are not presented as verified etymology.