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
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The private event came as Adams was still under indictment on federal corruption charges that were months later dismissed at the request of President Trump’s Department of Justice as part of a deal many believe has left the mayor beholden to Trump’s agenda. Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, 27 June 2025 Unlike commercial broadcasters beholden to shareholders, public media outlets are accountable to the public. Jay Reddick, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 May 2025 Rather than being beholden to someone else’s platform—like a television network—Cooper has been able to build her own. Lionel Lim, Fortune, 19 June 2025 Mainstream publishers are often still beholden to the bottom line and have to balance newsworthy stories with content that will attract both readers and advertisers. David Silverberg, JSTOR Daily, 13 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for beholden to

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Cite this Entry

“Beholden to.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beholden%20to. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.

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