Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

turn the screw

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.21 in modern English

Syllables: turn the screw
IPA

20

Scrabble Score

12

Letters

1

Syllables

9

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To increase the pressure of a situation.

Example Sentences

"Arsenal's dominance was reflected in a flurry of goals before half-time – three in six minutes: first, Podolski turned the screw with a peach of a free-kick; then Gervinho accelerated on to Mikel Arteta's beautifully crafted pass and beat Davis at his near post with conviction; and finally Southampton's defence unspooled completely when Gervinho broke to release Gibbs, whose return ball cannoned off Nathaniel Clyne for Southampton's second own goal of a sobering afternoon."

Inflected Forms

turns the screw (present, singular) turning the screw (participle, present) turned the screw (participle, past) turned the screw (past) turn the screws (alternative)

Phrases

turn of the screw

Frequently Paired Words

turn of the screw

Questions

What does turn the screw mean?: To increase the pressure of a situation.

How to pronounce turn the screw

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “turn the screw”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “turn the screw”.
Repeat and practice — Say “turn the screw” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.