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
The patriarch set forth changes to the family trust, leaving his eldest son, Lachlan, to take the reins of the business in the event of Murdoch's death, rather than the original plan of having all four eldest siblings weigh in on next steps.
—
Erica Marrison, PEOPLE, 9 Sep. 2025
That cleared the way for McCarthy to take the reins under center.
—Matthew Schmidt, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Sep. 2025
That’s when Meyers and Crane decided to step back, mostly to let the new owners take the reins.
—Jenna Thompson, Kansas City Star, 8 Sep. 2025
Sam Darnold will take the reins as the starter after a terrific bounce-back year with the Vikings.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for take the reins
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Erica Marrison, PEOPLE, 9 Sep. 2025
That cleared the way for McCarthy to take the reins under center.
—Matthew Schmidt, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Sep. 2025
That’s when Meyers and Crane decided to step back, mostly to let the new owners take the reins.
—Jenna Thompson, Kansas City Star, 8 Sep. 2025
Sam Darnold will take the reins as the starter after a terrific bounce-back year with the Vikings.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 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 18 Sep. 2025.
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