take the reins
idiom
: to take control
The President-elect will officially take the reins in January.
Examples of take the reins in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Her departure paved the way for Joan Lunden, then a reporter for ABC's local New York station, to take the reins.
—
Ralphie Aversa, USA Today, 31 Oct. 2025
There will be many future games in which DiVincenzo or Conley play well and take the reins late.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 24 Oct. 2025
Nonetheless, Newsom is seemingly determined to take the reins of his party as no other Democratic challenger has shown much promise in steering them towards victory in 2028.
—Douglas Schoen, Oc Register, 13 Oct. 2025
This is at least the argument that Cleveland radio host Tony Grossi laid out in a post on X, suggesting that the Browns' trading Flacco opens the door for Watson to take the reins of the starting quarterback job at some point this season.
—Reice Shipley, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for take the reins
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Ralphie Aversa, USA Today, 31 Oct. 2025
There will be many future games in which DiVincenzo or Conley play well and take the reins late.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 24 Oct. 2025
Nonetheless, Newsom is seemingly determined to take the reins of his party as no other Democratic challenger has shown much promise in steering them towards victory in 2028.
—Douglas Schoen, Oc Register, 13 Oct. 2025
This is at least the argument that Cleveland radio host Tony Grossi laid out in a post on X, suggesting that the Browns' trading Flacco opens the door for Watson to take the reins of the starting quarterback job at some point this season.
—Reice Shipley, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for take the reins
Cite this Entry
“Take the reins.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take%20the%20reins. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.
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