muscle (redirected from flexes 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.

not move a muscle

to stay completely still. She sat without moving a muscle as the nurse injected the anaesthetic.

See also: move

---

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.

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)

muscle in on something

to force a way into someone's business or other relationships in order to control them. Russell was the governor's closest friend, and he didn't like it when someone tried to muscle in on that relationship. These people pretended to be my friends, but they just wanted to muscle in on my life.