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
No matter how terrible things are, they can only be made worse by giving up and letting the powers that be have it their own way.
—
Literary Hub, 15 Dec. 2025
With that, Paul Heyman had something to brag about to the powers that be, suggesting that Bron pinned the WWE World Heavyweight Champion, CM Punk.
—Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2025
The unexpected box office haul spawned two sequels (the third one wasn't made for the big screen), but the powers that be failed to turn this success into an enduring franchise.
—Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 29 Nov. 2025
Of course, Holzman, Schwartz, Chu and the powers that be at Universal Pictures could conceivably plan a return to Oz.
—Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 21 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the powers that be
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Literary Hub, 15 Dec. 2025
With that, Paul Heyman had something to brag about to the powers that be, suggesting that Bron pinned the WWE World Heavyweight Champion, CM Punk.
—Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2025
The unexpected box office haul spawned two sequels (the third one wasn't made for the big screen), but the powers that be failed to turn this success into an enduring franchise.
—Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 29 Nov. 2025
Of course, Holzman, Schwartz, Chu and the powers that be at Universal Pictures could conceivably plan a return to Oz.
—Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 21 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 19 Dec. 2025.
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