Synonyms

tight ship

Idioms

A well-managed organization, as in The camp director runs a tight ship. This metaphoric term alludes to a ship in which the ropes are taut and by extension the ship is strictly managed. [Second half of 1900s]

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 his news conference, Tuchel insisted the experienced players he has selected in the squad help him run a tight ship.

From BBC • May 22, 2026

The new chief financial officer seems like she is running a very tight ship.

From Barron's • Dec. 24, 2025

SocGen didn't give any update on potential sale of non-core assets, after Krupa said last month he intended to run a "tight ship" in terms of portfolio of assets.

From Reuters • Sep. 18, 2023

Back inside, despite running a tight ship, Lulo’s demeanor is calm and collected.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 2, 2023

My parents ran a tight ship, and I had no reason to believe they weren’t serious about their demands, so I didn’t dare bring home any grade below an A-minus.

From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad

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