purse strings

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.

In November, parliament voted to replace a longstanding requirement to maintain a state surplus with a new balanced-budget rule, allowing the state to loosen its purse strings.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 12, 2026

That’s a precarious model if middle-class Americans have to tighten their purse strings.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 17, 2026

But factors such as the flagging property market, deflation and youth unemployment have left consumers tightening their purse strings.

From Barron's • Mar. 2, 2026

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

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 28, 2026

He paid because he had inherited from his mother a certain tightness through the purse strings.

From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson