Meaning & use
put the heat on
Last updated
Meanings
phraseidiominformal
to pressure someone strongly to do something or to give in.
Grammar: The person pressured goes after 'on': put the heat on the manager.
Patterns
- put the heat on someone
- put the heat on someone to do something
- put the heat on someone for something
The boss put the heat on us to finish the report by Friday.
Parents put the heat on the school to fix the broken playground.
If they keep putting the heat on him, he may finally agree to sign.
phraseidiominformal
to make a situation more intense or dangerous, especially by increasing pressure or attention.
Grammar: Often used about police, journalists, or rivals increasing pressure on a target.
Patterns
- put the heat on someone
- put the heat on a group
After the story appeared, reporters really put the heat on the mayor.
The new rules put the heat on companies that pollute rivers.
Common combinations
- put the heat on someone
- The coach put the heat on the players before the final match.
- put the heat on someone to do something
- They put the heat on her to reveal her sources.
- really put the heat on
- The inquiry really put the heat on the department.
- put the heat on for something
- The union put the heat on for better pay.
- the heat is on
- With one game left, the heat is on the whole team.
Synonyms and how they differ
- pressure
- A more neutral verb or noun; 'pressure someone' is standard in all registers, while 'put the heat on' sounds informal.
- lean on
- Informal and slightly more threatening; it suggests using influence or even intimidation.
- push
- More general and less forceful; it can simply mean urging rather than applying serious pressure.
Opposites
Word family
- heat noun
- The word at the center of the idiom; literally high temperature, or figuratively strong pressure.
Commonly confused: put the heat on or put the heat up?
put the heat on vs put the heat up
This usually means raising the temperature in a room, not pressuring a person.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'put the heat on' correctly?
Choose one answer.
The idiom takes the pattern 'put the heat on someone (to do something)', so the person comes after 'on' and the infinitive follows. Option 2 leaves out 'to', option 3 puts the object in the wrong place, and option 4 splits the fixed phrase.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “put the heat on”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.