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Glite Dictionary
to keep a tight ship

to keep a tight ship

6.5
Run a team or group strictly and efficiently
  • idiom
translation icon : mantener una organización eficiente
  • The new manager promised to keep a tight ship and ensure everyone follows the rules.

Examples

  • His goal as team leader is to keep a tight ship so that all projects run smoothly.

  • To improve productivity, she knows it's essential to keep a tight ship in the office.

  • They keep a tight ship, as Johnny likes to say.

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Synonyms

to keep in line
vsto keep a tight ship
35 4.2

Control people so they behave properly

focuses on managing an organization efficiently rather than only controlling individuals
to run a tight ship
vsto keep a tight ship
  • Informal
7 5.4

Manage a group or organization strictly to keep it working well

is the same idea but expressed with different phrasing
to regiment
vsto keep a tight ship
5 7.7

To control people strictly with many rules

prioritizes efficient organization and smooth operation rather than coercion

Antonyms

disorganized
  • US
38 3.1

Not in a clear order or plan

How Well-Managed

to keep a tight ship
6.5
to manage
643 2.7
to let it slide
  • Informal
38 5.9

Surface Forms

keep a tight ship infinitive

Morphology

keep + a + tight + ship

The components keep (maintain) and tight (strict) transparently suggest maintaining strictness, so a learner could infer a sense of disciplined management. However, the metaphorical use of ship to mean an organization or unit is non-literal and may not be obvious to a B1 learner without prior exposure, making the overall phrase only partially predictable.

Etymology

Keep a tight ship comes from old sailors. One popular story says a captain had to keep the sails, ropes and crew very neat so the ship would be safe and everything stayed tight and under control, so the phrase now means 'to manage a group very well and with strict rules'.