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.

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

From Barron's • Dec. 24, 2025

“Strictly runs on incredibly tight deadlines and needs to be run like a tight ship, and I congratulate all the staff who get this done,” said another.

From BBC • Sep. 30, 2024

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

This may work, if the images don't clash: Frieda viewed her marriage as a tight ship, but Lorenzo was plotting a mutiny.

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