crack the whip

[krak-thuh wip, hwip]

verb (used without object)

1. to demand obedience, hard work, or efficiency from others in a harsh or stern manner.

noun

1. Also called snap the whip. a game in which players in a line, each holding the next, run, roller-skate, or ice-skate for a distance until the leader veers suddenly in a new direction, causing the rest of the line to swing around rapidly and the players at the end of the line to lose their balance or to let go of the other players.

Word History and Origins

Origin of crack the whip¹

First recorded in 1885–90

Idioms and Phrases

Behave in a domineering and demanding way toward one's subordinates. For example, He's been cracking the whip ever since he got his promotion. This expression, first recorded in 1647, alludes to drivers of horse-drawn wagons who snapped their whips hard, producing a loud cracking noise. Its figurative use dates from the late 1800s.

Related Words

• absolute 
• arbitrary 
• arrogant 
• autocratic 
• dogmatic 
• domineering 
• haughty 
• imperious 
• oppressive 
• overbearing 
• totalitarian