beholden to

idiom

formal
: owing a favor or gift to (someone) : having obligations to (someone)
politicians who are beholden to special interest groups
She works for herself, and so is beholden to no one.

Examples of beholden to in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
One thing this puts an end to, for sure, is the idea that Posey was going to be beholden to nostalgia, that his post-hire comments about paying attention to runs batted in were a sign that the organization was about to go backwards. Grant Brisbee, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025 Unlike other cable or satellite providers, YouTube TV is part of a tech behemoth that is not particularly beholden to the entertainment business. Dade Hayes, Deadline, 30 Sep. 2025 But all 17 are still beholden to the 10 Power Four game requirement. Payton Titus, Louisville Courier Journal, 25 Sep. 2025 The broadcast networks are beholden to Trump’s FCC in a way cable channels aren’t, but that’s hardly reassuring. Bethy Squires, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for beholden to

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Beholden to.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beholden%20to. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!