the tail wagging the dog
idiom
informal
—used to describe a situation in which an important or powerful person, organization, etc., is being controlled by someone or something that is much less important or powerful
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“The tail wagging the dog.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20tail%20wagging%20the%20dog. Accessed 2 Dec. 2025.
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