hold/control the purse strings
idiom
: to make the decisions about how money is spent
The museum's board of directors holds/controls the purse strings.
Examples of hold/control the purse strings in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
As investment prospects darken, financiers increasingly view the game as a way to build 'guanxi' or connections with officials who hold the purse strings on local projects, especially those overseas investors might consider too risky.
—
Fox News, 28 Aug. 2023
The people who control the purse strings — Senate Leadership Fund, Mitch McConnell.
—The Arizona Republic, 12 Nov. 2022
Now that millennials control the purse strings at many businesses, sales professionals are carving out new ways of closing deals on everything from business software to chemicals and office equipment.
—Lindsay Ellis, WSJ, 8 Nov. 2022
Club owners in the country’s top domestic leagues have final say over the agenda and control the purse strings.
—Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2022
With steep losses in recent memory, the investors who control the purse strings are keeping the companies on a tight leash.
—Justin Worland/houston, Time, 10 Mar. 2022
Members of Congress, who control the purse strings, say the Navy must also spend billions of dollars more in its public shipyards that maintain the ships.
—Fox News, 24 May 2021
Harvey keeps a tight circle of associates who hold the purse strings.
—Rodney Ho, ajc, 27 Apr. 2022
Turns out women hold the purse strings in most relationships.
—Jasmine Browley, Essence, 20 Apr. 2022
Fox News, 28 Aug. 2023
The people who control the purse strings — Senate Leadership Fund, Mitch McConnell.
—The Arizona Republic, 12 Nov. 2022
Now that millennials control the purse strings at many businesses, sales professionals are carving out new ways of closing deals on everything from business software to chemicals and office equipment.
—Lindsay Ellis, WSJ, 8 Nov. 2022
Club owners in the country’s top domestic leagues have final say over the agenda and control the purse strings.
—Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2022
With steep losses in recent memory, the investors who control the purse strings are keeping the companies on a tight leash.
—Justin Worland/houston, Time, 10 Mar. 2022
Members of Congress, who control the purse strings, say the Navy must also spend billions of dollars more in its public shipyards that maintain the ships.
—Fox News, 24 May 2021
Harvey keeps a tight circle of associates who hold the purse strings.
—Rodney Ho, ajc, 27 Apr. 2022
Turns out women hold the purse strings in most relationships.
—Jasmine Browley, Essence, 20 Apr. 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hold/control the purse strings.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Hold/control the purse strings.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hold%2Fcontrol%20the%20purse%20strings. Accessed 26 Apr. 2024.
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