View synonyms for jawbone

jawbone

[ jaw-bohn ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

, jaw·boned, jaw·bon·ing.

Informal. to attempt to influence or pressure by persuasion rather than by the exertion of force or one's authority, as in urging voluntary compliance with economic guidelines:
The president jawboned the steel industry into postponing price increases.

jawbone

/ ˈdʒɔːˌbəʊn /

to try to persuade or bring pressure to bear (on) by virtue of one's high office or position, esp in urging compliance with official policy

Origin of jawbone¹

First recorded in 1480–90; jaw ¹ + bone

However, the inevitable gansas were here, but silent; one of them tied by its string to a human jaw-bone as a handle.

In one of them a jaw bone was found not quite consumed, but in general they contained only ashes.

Is it not still more wonderful that Samson should have slain so many Philistines with the jaw-bone of an ass?

But for some such precaution, it would have been impossible to have knocked out the tooth, without breaking the jaw-bone.

I tore a branch from an oak, and I became as Samson with the jaw-bone of the ass.

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