flex muscles

flex your muscles

if a person or an organization flexes their muscles, they take some action to let people know how powerful they are. The latest bomb scare was just the terrorists flexing their muscles - showing us they haven't gone away.

See also: muscle

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flex your/its muscles

to act in a way that shows power or strength. This very poor nation is beginning to flex its muscles as an important producer of coffee. Conservatives are flexing their muscles in local elections this fall.

See also: muscle

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flex your muscles

to use or increase your influence or power. He was a very successful movie actor, but he's decided to flex his muscles on the stage for a while.

Usage notes: sometimes used with an adjective to show a particular kind of influence or power: The attorney general is flexing his legal muscles to enforce gun control laws.

Etymology: from the literal meaning of flex your muscles (= to tighten your muscles)

See also: muscle