free rein

noun

: unrestricted liberty of action or decision

Examples of free rein 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.
Best of all, its cordless design gives you free rein to vacuum all over the house without being tethered to an outlet. Clara McMahon, People.com, 29 June 2025 But this decision doesn’t give states free rein to regulate the internet. Meg Leta Jones, The Conversation, 27 June 2025 Activists, creative guilds and critics have worried that allowing the systems free rein could displace jobs and reduce the level of human involvement in art. Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 12 June 2025 Such an explicit carve-out in legal doctrine is striking but responds directly to claims made by litigants and political commentators of the dire economic consequences that could result were the president to have free rein over the Federal Reserve’s chairman. Claire B. Wofford, The Conversation, 13 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for free rein

Word History

First Known Use

1635, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of free rein was in 1635

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Cite this Entry

“Free rein.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/free%20rein. Accessed 10 Jul. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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