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
Once his grandfather, Santa Claus (Jan Decleir), falls ill, his holiday-hating grandson Jules (Mo Bakker) must take the reins as Father Christmas in this Dutch film.
—
Kelsie Gibson, PEOPLE, 22 Dec. 2025
Mike Selig will take the reins from acting Chair Caroline Pham, who is the only remaining commissioner at the agency typically helmed by five people.
—Sylvan Lane, The Hill, 19 Dec. 2025
Jaffe, who has studied 100-year-old families, said most families find compromises between letting the next generation take the reins and squashing their individuality.
—Hayley Cuccinello, CNBC, 11 Dec. 2025
Private administrators, in the form of insurance companies, take the reins of Medicare plans and offer a more personalized, streamlined plan in lieu of a traditional Medicare plan.
—Juliette Madrigal, Boston Herald, 7 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for take the reins
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Kelsie Gibson, PEOPLE, 22 Dec. 2025
Mike Selig will take the reins from acting Chair Caroline Pham, who is the only remaining commissioner at the agency typically helmed by five people.
—Sylvan Lane, The Hill, 19 Dec. 2025
Jaffe, who has studied 100-year-old families, said most families find compromises between letting the next generation take the reins and squashing their individuality.
—Hayley Cuccinello, CNBC, 11 Dec. 2025
Private administrators, in the form of insurance companies, take the reins of Medicare plans and offer a more personalized, streamlined plan in lieu of a traditional Medicare plan.
—Juliette Madrigal, Boston Herald, 7 Dec. 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 2 Jan. 2026.
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