free rein

noun

: unrestricted liberty of action or decision

Examples of free rein in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

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

The vacuum's cordless design also gives you free rein to clean without being tethered to a wire. —Clara McMahon, People.com, 11 Apr. 2025

Now, a handful of powerful food and agriculture corporations have been given free rein to set their own safety standards, prioritizing profits over the safety and health of everyday people. —Errol Schweizer, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025

But an appeals court last year rejected claims of fraud and found Mr. Puech knowingly gave the financial manager free rein to handle his affairs. —Ephrat Livni, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1635, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for free rein

• abstain
• airplane
• alkane
• arcane
• arraign
• attain
• backplane
• betaine
• biplane
• blockchain
• butane
• campaign