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
Unlike a decorator, who must design a space with a client’s specific tastes in mind, Saft has free rein to execute his vision—no suggestions, no notes.
—
Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025
In exchange, they were allowed free rein over the enclave’s economy, formal and informal.
—Bobby Ghosh, Time, 16 Oct. 2025
President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski has been given free rein to make decisions up to this point and Middleton explained his relationship with the team executives in a response to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale.
—Peter Chawaga, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Oct. 2025
Losing Fed independence is like giving free rein to emotional, irrational decision making.
—Hersh Shefrin, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for free rein
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Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025
In exchange, they were allowed free rein over the enclave’s economy, formal and informal.
—Bobby Ghosh, Time, 16 Oct. 2025
President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski has been given free rein to make decisions up to this point and Middleton explained his relationship with the team executives in a response to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale.
—Peter Chawaga, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Oct. 2025
Losing Fed independence is like giving free rein to emotional, irrational decision making.
—Hersh Shefrin, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for free rein
Cite this Entry
“Free rein.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/free%20rein. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
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