Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

tight ship

Idioms  

  1. 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.

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

From Barron's • Dec. 24, 2025

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

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

While she ran a tight ship both at school and at home, music was where she could let go.

From BBC • Dec. 11, 2020

Otherwise, plea bargaining would never work. tight ship.

From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.