a free hand
noun
: the freedom to do things and make decisions without being controlled by another
Her father gave her a free hand in running the family business.
Examples of a free hand in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
More often than not, Israel had a free hand, and effective U.S. military protection against the Iranian attack may have given Israel greater confidence to launch riskier operations in later months.
—
Andrew P. Miller, Foreign Affairs, 5 Dec. 2025
With the 2010 Citizens United decision by the Supreme Court that legalized payoffs to politicians, anti-competitive collusion and price-fixing was given a free hand.
—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 16 Nov. 2025
Still, Republicans are more inclined to give Trump a free hand.
—Jason Lange, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
Even so, even in places where Democrats have a free hand to do their own shenanigans, such as Oregon and Illinois, there aren’t many districts that haven’t already been designed to their advantage.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 4 Aug. 2025
But our democracy can only be enhanced by an information source that operates with a free hand, unencumbered by the bottom line of profitability.
—Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 2 Aug. 2025
But over all, historically, America has given Israel quite a free hand vis-à-vis the Palestinians.
—Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 13 June 2025
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Andrew P. Miller, Foreign Affairs, 5 Dec. 2025
With the 2010 Citizens United decision by the Supreme Court that legalized payoffs to politicians, anti-competitive collusion and price-fixing was given a free hand.
—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 16 Nov. 2025
Still, Republicans are more inclined to give Trump a free hand.
—Jason Lange, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
Even so, even in places where Democrats have a free hand to do their own shenanigans, such as Oregon and Illinois, there aren’t many districts that haven’t already been designed to their advantage.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 4 Aug. 2025
But our democracy can only be enhanced by an information source that operates with a free hand, unencumbered by the bottom line of profitability.
—Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 2 Aug. 2025
But over all, historically, America has given Israel quite a free hand vis-à-vis the Palestinians.
—Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 13 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“A free hand.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/a%20free%20hand. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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