jawboning

noun

jaw·bon·ing | \ ˈjȯ-ˌbō-niŋ

Definition of jawboning

: the use of public appeals (as by a president) to influence the actions especially of business and labor leaders broadly : the use of spoken persuasion

Did You Know? Example Sentences Learn More about jawboning

Keep scrolling for more

Did You Know?

In the late 1800s, the noun jawbone meant "credit" (as in his money's gone, so he lives on jawbone), which was probably influenced by the practice of coaxing others to lend money by promising to pay it back. By the mid-1960s the verb to jawbone, meaning "to talk about to gain some end," was appearing regularly in the media. The noun jawboning made its print debut at the end of that decade, in reference to rhetorical practices that influenced the actions of the wealthy and powerful. All of these uses were likely influenced by the verb jaw, which has long been used with the meanings "to talk" or "to scold."

Examples of jawboning in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Besides jawboning from Trump, who fears that a slowdown could hurt his chances of winning reelection next year, the Fed will almost certainly face pressure to lower rates further from markets as well. — Los Angeles Times, "Fed cuts interest rate for first time since 2008, adopting risky new strategy," 31 July 2019 To apply real influence over the Fed, past administrations have gone beyond jawboning, said Sebastian Mallaby, a fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and author of a biography of Alan Greenspan, a former Fed chairman. — Peter Eavis, New York Times, "The Fed Is Usually Off-Limits to the President. Is Trump Changing That?," 5 July 2018 Also limiting the greenback’s upside in the wake of Kudlow’s jawboning might be the new adviser’s relative lack of clout, Marino said. — Katherine Greifeld, Bloomberg.com, "‘King Dollar’ Kudlow Is Fighting a Tide of Bearish Greenback Wagers," 15 Mar. 2018 Since Trump's jawboning, the plant experienced a round of layoffs in July, when 337 workers left the plant. — Author: Aaron Gregg, Danielle Paquette, Anchorage Daily News, "Manufacturer that cut jobs deal with Trump gets $2.5 billion Pentagon contract without competition," 24 Feb. 2018 Perhaps there’s some quiet jawboning going on behind the scenes to avoid embarrassment for everybody. — Ed Kilgore, Daily Intelligencer, "Idaho Tries Bold Gambit: Ignoring Obamacare Rules," 30 Jan. 2018 After Prime Minister Shinzo Abe took power in 2012 and talked down the yen in a bid to help Japan’s export firms, many viewed the jawboning as impolitic and a risk to sparking competitive devaluation and volatility in markets. — Don Lee, Philly.com, "With U.S. trade in mind, Trump administration talks down dollar to three-year low," 25 Jan. 2018 After Prime Minister Shinzo Abe took power in 2012 and talked down the yen in a bid to help Japan's export firms, many viewed the jawboning as impolitic and a risk to sparking competitive devaluation and volatility in markets. — Don Lee, latimes.com, "With U.S. trade in mind, Trump administration talks down dollar to three-year low," 25 Jan. 2018 Even mighty Apple, famous for going its own way, is bowing down now, not so much to the realities of government regulation as the jawboning of a president who talks a lot about—but so far hasn’t done much to further—protectionist policies. — Adam Lashinsky, Fortune, "Trump Deserves 'Fair Share' of Credit for Apple Moves," 18 Jan. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'jawboning.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Keep scrolling for more

jawboning

Definition of jawboning

Did You Know?

Examples of jawboning in a Sentence

First Known Use of jawboning

WORD OF THE DAY