free rein

noun

: unrestricted liberty of action or decision

The studio gave the director free rein over the movie.

Examples of free rein in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Odegaard, Arsenal’s captain, had free rein to roam the pitch that day, dropping deep in build-up while still having a presence in the final third. — Art De Roché, New York Times, 31 July 2026

Fauci’s decision to shield himself by staying silent gave Republicans free rein to attack him and his response to the COVID-19 pandemic without anyone to refute their statements. — Joey Garrison, USA Today, 29 July 2026

However, that movie opened around Christmas and had virtually free rein on the big screen through January and February. — Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 14 July 2026

Unlike those of us who grew up in the ‘80s, kids now are unlikely to be granted free rein of the neighborhood from dawn until dusk—and that’s where screens can be the downfall of an unscheduled summer. — Melissa Willets, Parents, 29 June 2026

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