put the arm on someone
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
To demand money from someone.
Register: slang
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “put the arm on someone” mean?
To demand money from someone.
Is “put the arm on someone” formal or informal?
put the arm on someone is generally slang.