under the heel of (someone)

idiom

: completely controlled by (another person, group, etc.)
They are under the heel of a tyrant.

Examples of under the heel of (someone) in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Crush of mint under the heel of a little girl enjoying her small but definite powers. Elisa Gonzalez, Harper's Magazine, 20 Sep. 2023 This willful ignorance stems from our long-standing refusal to see the violent overthrow of Reconstruction governments, the systematic murdering of Black voters, and the century-long terror that kept an entire people under the heel of white tyranny as America’s own history of white dictatorship. Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw, The New Republic, 23 Oct. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'under the heel of (someone).' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Dictionary Entries Near under the heel of (someone)

Cite this Entry

“Under the heel of (someone).” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/under%20the%20heel%20of%20%28someone%29. Accessed 26 Apr. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!