to turn up the pressure
1
3.9
- phrasal verb
:
aumentar la presión
- Instead of offering an extension, Activision turned up the pressure by publicly announcing the game and attaching Silicon Knights' name to it prominently ...
Examples
-
This should certainly turn up the pressure on them to resolve this issue ASAP and do it in a manner that assures the integrity of the process.
Blog text (23) -
The coach decided to turn up the pressure on the players to improve their performance.
-
Since then, Riley had been turning up the pressure.
Fiction book (2002) -
Austin ordered the captain to turn up the pressure.
Fiction book (1999) -
But Democrats across the board need to turn up the pressure big time to tag from "education."
Blog text (4) -
As negotiations stalled, the union leader threatened to turn up the pressure on the management.
-
During the heated debate, the senator turned up the pressure on his opponents to reveal their stance.
Synonyms
∞
2.3
To make someone do something by using power or pressure
220
5.5
To become larger, more serious, or more intense
149
4.2
To try to make someone do something
39
3.8
To increase the level or strength of something, for example volume, production
26
4.2
Make a situation more urgent to force someone to act
23
3.4
To raise prices or amounts by a lot
18
6.7
To increase something slowly until it becomes hard to reduce
12
8.1
Make someone do what they promised or take responsibility by pressuring them
9
7.0
To raise the level of risk or what people expect
1
6.0
To use influence to persuade someone to do something
1
6.5
Make someone decide or act sooner than they want
1
4.4
Get someone to agree or do something by pressuring them
1
4.4
To give someone more stress to make them change their mind
1
7.5
To put more pressure on someone so they do what you want
Persuade someone to do what you want
To increase something to its highest or most extreme level
Antonyms
How Strong
- Formal
1
6.0
1
3.9
285
3.9
591
3.2
∞
2.3
∞
1.6
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly and predictably derived from the constituents: 'turn up' (to increase) applied to 'pressure' (exerting influence) yields 'increase the amount of pressure' or 'apply greater influence'. This compositional verb+particle + noun pattern is common and cross-linguistically accessible, so a B1 learner who knows the words should be able to infer the meaning.
Etymology
Turn up the pressure comes from the image of turning a tap or knob—turn up—so the pressure of water or air gets stronger and pushes harder. So when people say turn up the pressure, they mean 'to push someone harder or try to make them do something'.