belt-tightening

They want to change bad behaviors—tobacco, alcohol, using a seat belt, anything.

After tightening her collar, Stella assumed slave posture: on her knees, legs slightly spread, palm resting face-up on her thighs.

Now they are a notch on a belt, and the savior can feel good about themselves.

Det. 2: No, not your belt . . . . Remember being out in the sunroom, the room that sits out to the back of the house?

Not long after, a 10-year-old girl wearing a suicide belt was arrested.

His boyish suspenders had been put away in favor of a belt, which was tight-drawn about his slim waist.

He reached down inside my shirt, with a none too gentle hand, and relieved me of the belt that held the money.

Just smiled, a sardonic sort of grimace, and unbuckled his belt and handed it over without a word.

He put his hand to his belt, screwed up his mug, and said he felt plumb et up inside.

A millionaire might offer more for a life belt as a souvenir than a drowning man could pay for it to save his life.