turn up the heat
turn up the heat (on someone or something)
1. To pressure someone to do something. We need to turn up the heat on those guys so that they finally pay their debt to us. A: "The suspect still isn't saying anything." B: "OK, let's turn up the heat."
2. To start to do something with more determination or intensity. Wow, they really turned up the heat on their opponents in the second half. The company started turning up the heat with its expansion into the mobile phone market.
See also: heat, someone, turn, up
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
turn up the heat (on someone or something)
Fig. to put pressure on someone or something; apply additional pressure to someone or something. The FBI turned the heat up on the gang. The police turned up the heat on the people who park illegally every day.
See also: heat, turn, up
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
turn up the heat
intensify pressure or criticism. informalSee also: heat, turn, up
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
turn up the heat
Increase or intensify some activity. The use of “turn up” for literally increasing light or heat dates from the late 1800s. This figurative usage is much newer and appears in such contexts as, for example, “This interrogation is going nowhere; we’ll have to turn up the heat.”
See also: heat, turn, up
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
- encumber
- encumber (someone or something) with (something)
- encumber with
- haul before
- take (someone or something) back to (someone or some place)
- take back to
- go down fighting
- go down with guns firing
- I suspect so
- haul over to