crack the whip
verb (used without object)
to demand obedience, hard work, or efficiency from others in a harsh or stern manner.
noun
Also called snap the whip.
a game in which players in a line, each holding the next, run, roller-skate, or ice-skate for a distance until the leader veers suddenly in a new direction, causing the rest of the line to swing around rapidly and the players at the end of the line to lose their balance or to let go of the other players.
Words nearby crack the whip
crack a smile,
crack down,
crack of dawn,
crack of doom,
crack on,
crack the whip,
crack up,
crack willow,
cracka,
crackajack,
crackberry
Example sentences from the Web for crack the whip
The farmers about here interpret the notes to say, Crack-the-whip!
Wild Life Near Home |Dallas Lore Sharp
Idioms and Phrases with crack the whip
crack the whip
Behave in a domineering and demanding way toward one's subordinates. For example, He's been cracking the whip ever since he got his promotion. This expression, first recorded in 1647, alludes to drivers of horse-drawn wagons who snapped their whips hard, producing a loud cracking noise. Its figurative use dates from the late 1800s.