put the bite on
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
To extort; to demand money from.
Register: slang
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
The thought that he should turn the tables on his blackmailers and refuse to cooperate crossed his mind, but he would need something tangible to put the bite on them.
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org). Figurative class: Euphemism (PIE-English corpus, CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-31).
Common questions
What does “put the bite on” mean?
To extort; to demand money from.
Is “put the bite on” formal or informal?
put the bite on is generally slang.