take the helm
idiom
1
: to steer a boat or ship
The ship's captain took the helm.
2
: to take a position of full control or authority in an organization
She took the helm of the university.
Examples of take the helm in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Jayawardhana will take the helm of the 134-year-old campus — which has produced numerous scientific breakthroughs and dozens of Nobel laureates — on July 1.
—
Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2026
The company veteran came out of retirement to take the helm late last year .
—Lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 31 Dec. 2025
While the 84-year-old still goes out to hunt, his two apprentices largely take the helm in helping reinforce the boundary between the forest and residential areas.
—Hanako Montgomery, CNN Money, 11 Dec. 2025
Because questions of relation and bloodlines don’t factor into it, new would-be CEOs—endlessly replenishable resources—are always available to take the helm, with new bodyguards available to protect them.
—Hazlitt, 3 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for take the helm
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Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2026
The company veteran came out of retirement to take the helm late last year .
—Lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 31 Dec. 2025
While the 84-year-old still goes out to hunt, his two apprentices largely take the helm in helping reinforce the boundary between the forest and residential areas.
—Hanako Montgomery, CNN Money, 11 Dec. 2025
Because questions of relation and bloodlines don’t factor into it, new would-be CEOs—endlessly replenishable resources—are always available to take the helm, with new bodyguards available to protect them.
—Hazlitt, 3 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for take the helm
Cite this Entry
“Take the helm.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take%20the%20helm. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
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