hold the reins
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“I feel like I’m trying to hold the reins on something I can’t really control.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 16, 2026
Silver told the audience that she had to wear her “big girl pants and hold the reins without Dick here as the safety net.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 30, 2025
These delegates are assigned block by block in the system; no one leader may hold the reins for too long.
From Slate • Mar. 18, 2022
Men who hold the reins of power now have a deep systemic fear of having their lives destroyed by an errant act.
From New York Times • Dec. 12, 2017
He practiced on the sawhorse how he would hold the reins in his left hand and a hat in his right hand.
From "The Red Pony" by John Steinbeck
