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
To win the right to increase taxes, the mayor has to prove to those who hold the purse strings that his government can be trusted with the funds.
—
The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2025
The Business Case For Identity Governance: Overcoming Procurement Challenges
One of the biggest hurdles in securing investment for identity governance initiatives is making the business case to those who hold the purse strings.
—Leslie Milne, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
The corporations that control the purse strings don’t like it.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 6 Oct. 2024
Yes, but: Hartzell won support from lawmakers — who control the purse strings at the public university — as well as the key donors and UT System Board of Regents, which rejected protesters' demands for the university to divest from companies doing business in Israel.
—Asher Price, Axios, 16 Aug. 2024
Do not let the MTA control the purse strings on congestion pricing.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 30 Mar. 2024
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
A lot of HBCUs, including yours, are in states where Republicans hold the purse strings.
—Avishay Artsy, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
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.
The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2025
The Business Case For Identity Governance: Overcoming Procurement Challenges
One of the biggest hurdles in securing investment for identity governance initiatives is making the business case to those who hold the purse strings.
—Leslie Milne, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
The corporations that control the purse strings don’t like it.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 6 Oct. 2024
Yes, but: Hartzell won support from lawmakers — who control the purse strings at the public university — as well as the key donors and UT System Board of Regents, which rejected protesters' demands for the university to divest from companies doing business in Israel.
—Asher Price, Axios, 16 Aug. 2024
Do not let the MTA control the purse strings on congestion pricing.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 30 Mar. 2024
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
A lot of HBCUs, including yours, are in states where Republicans hold the purse strings.
—Avishay Artsy, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
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 30 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share