the powers that be
idiom
: 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
So until the powers that be determine a solution that works for all involved—and then enforce it—all a client/customer/patient can do is proceed with caution and ask the right questions.
—
Deanna Pai, Allure, 18 Nov. 2025
And the sooner the powers that be make this seachange in their thinking, the better.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 14 Nov. 2025
In order to avert a teacher's strike, the powers that be had to reallocate funds from other areas.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Nov. 2025
It’s set in a world where the powers that be actually want people to starve, suffer, and die.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 12 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the powers that be
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Deanna Pai, Allure, 18 Nov. 2025
And the sooner the powers that be make this seachange in their thinking, the better.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 14 Nov. 2025
In order to avert a teacher's strike, the powers that be had to reallocate funds from other areas.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Nov. 2025
It’s set in a world where the powers that be actually want people to starve, suffer, and die.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 12 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the powers that be
Cite this Entry
“The powers that be.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20powers%20that%20be. Accessed 24 Nov. 2025.
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