thumbscrew technique
- noun
- /ˈθʌmˌskruː tɛkˈniːk/
- Offensive
:
técnica de coacción
- The manager resorted to a thumbscrew technique to push employees to meet the deadline.
Examples
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During negotiations, the lawyer applied a thumbscrew technique to get the best deal for her client.
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Some coaches use the thumbscrew technique to extract peak performance from their players.
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Don't use a thumbscrew technique!
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The manager used a thumbscrew technique to get results.
-
The manager resorted to a thumbscrew technique to push employees to meet the deadline.
-
Some coaches use the thumbscrew technique to extract peak performance from their players.
-
During negotiations, the lawyer applied a thumbscrew technique to get the best deal for her client.
Synonyms
256
3.2
Use of influence by other people to make someone do something
56
6.9
The act of making someone do something by using threats or violence
5
6.3
Strong pressure from someone to make you do something
1
8.7
Strong pressure by officials to influence people's actions or decisions
Antonyms
How Coercive
- Offensive
262
7.1
- Offensive
- Offensive
56
6.9
256
3.2
45
3.6
Surface Forms
Morphology
If a learner knows 'thumbscrew' as a torture device and 'technique' as a method, they can plausibly infer a method that applies strong pressure or coercion — the constituents directly signal a coercive metaphor. However, this is a metaphorical extension and somewhat culture-specific/frequentationally rare, so the figurative sense may not be fully predictable or conventional for a B1 learner without prior exposure.
Etymology
Thumbscrew technique comes from an old torture tool called the thumbscrew, which squeezed a person's thumbs between two metal parts until they 'gave in'. So saying someone used the thumbscrew technique means they used heavy pressure or threats to make someone 'give in'.