turn up the heat on

Idioms  

1. Also,; tighten the screws on. Pressure someone, as in The cops turned up the heat on drivers who show signs of drunkenness, or They said they'd tighten the screws on her if she didn't confess. All of these slangy terms allude to forms of physical coercion or torture. The first dates from about 1930, the variants using screws from the mid-1800s, and squeeze from the late 1700s.

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Example Sentences

Sam Farmer’s pick: Houston has been a hard matchup for the Chargers, and can turn up the heat on Herbert.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 26, 2025

The offer seems destined to turn up the heat on Novo.

From Barron's • Oct. 30, 2025

If they’re going to turn up the heat on the front-runner, Wednesday night would be an ideal place to start.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 26, 2023

Defend Black Voters is finding other ways to turn up the heat on corporations that support candidates who want to place restrictions on voting.

From Salon • Nov. 8, 2022

It felt important to us to turn up the heat on the frog in the pot, because part of what the rings do is halt this fading.

From New York Times • Oct. 14, 2022