make someone work harder by asserting power or authority
put a person under pressure to do a job or be obedient
harshly push someone (usually your staff) to do more
demand or bully someone to work harder, faster, or more efficiently
We’d better get some work done, or he’ll crack the whip when he gets back from his tea break.
Mark looked out of his office window and saw all the office staff lounging around, drinking coffee without a care in the world. Time to crack the whip, he thought.
The company is three months behind with the orders, so the boss has started to crack the whip.
My fingers are so sore from all the sewing today. The supervisor was really cracking the whip because we’ve missed the delivery date for this order of coats.
The new officer is cracking the whip against significant rule violations.
There is no origin for this idiom
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definition
Common phrase that has a specific meaning.