call the shots

phrase

: to be in charge or control : determine the policy or procedure

Who calls the shots around here?

Examples of call the shots in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Binu Palal then asked Ladd who would have called the shots among the four people allegedly in the Cadillac — Davis, Anderson, Terence Brown or Deondre Smith? — Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026

Everyone agrees that someone is calling the shots on a corporate AI strategy. — Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 20 Aug. 2026

The robot handles the physical movements, but the doctor is still calling the shots. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 19 Aug. 2026

That sends a signal to the people calling the shots, helping inform policymaking. — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1952, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for call the shots

• afterthoughts
• apricots
• argonauts
• astronauts
• cosmonauts
• huguenots
• kilowatts
• megawatts
• wyandots
• allots
• boycotts
• croats