the powers that be

phrase

: the people who decide what is allowed or acceptable in a group, organization, etc.

The students wanted to have a big party, but the powers that be didn't approve.

Examples of the powers that be in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

And all the powers that be try to put a sense of inevitability on it. — Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 11 Aug. 2026

As the powers that be focused more on creating their next show, Voyager, DS9 showrunner Ira Steven Behr was able to get away with creating long story arcs and frequent episode callbacks. — Chris Snellgrove, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Aug. 2026

Joining me for a closer look into the powers that be within the GOP is USA TODAY Congressional Correspondent Zach Schermele. — Dana Taylor, USA Today, 4 Aug. 2026

As we get started here, (general manager George Paton) and the powers that be will meet and begin discussing certain players. — Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 2 Aug. 2026

Rhymes for the powers that be

• actuary
• antiquary
• bolsheviki
• bronchoscopy
• calliope
• chelicerae
• colposcopy
• covenantee
• cruciferae
• cystoscopy
• diastole
• distributee