1
as in helm
usually reins plural
the place of leadership or command
after the president resigned, the vice president stepped in and took the reins of the company
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in restriction
the act or practice of keeping something (as an activity) within certain boundaries
the oversight committee called on the state to keep a much tighter rein on the activities of its contractors
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in power
usually reins plural
the right or means to command or control others
a peaceful transfer of the reins of government has always been a hallmark of our nation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to restrain
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of rein
Hasan T. Alhasan, Foreign Affairs, 4 Aug. 2025
Sounds like someone should gently rein this person in a bit.
—Kelly G. Richardson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 July 2025
Michael Rechtshaffen, HollywoodReporter, 12 Sep. 2025
Two-time major champion and inaugural CEO of LIV golf, Greg Norman, stepped down from his role last year, announcing on X that Scott O'Neil would take over the reins.
—Devlina Sarkar, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rein
Noun
The Arab Gulf states must contend once again with the harsh reality that the White House is not a reliable partner in either reining Israel in or bringing a lasting end to war in the region.
—Hasan T. Alhasan, Foreign Affairs, 4 Aug. 2025
Sounds like someone should gently rein this person in a bit.
—Kelly G. Richardson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 July 2025
Verb
By the time Megan seizes control of the reins at the film’s close, the abrupt denouement feels jarringly disconnected rather than organic to the storytelling.
—Michael Rechtshaffen, HollywoodReporter, 12 Sep. 2025
Two-time major champion and inaugural CEO of LIV golf, Greg Norman, stepped down from his role last year, announcing on X that Scott O'Neil would take over the reins.
—Devlina Sarkar, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rein
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rein
Noun
-
The Department of Insurance, and the Insurance Commissioner at its helm, must work effectively with insurers while maintaining total independence.—
Patrick Wolff,
Oc Register,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Hearn and Warren, who had barely spoken in the years since the former took over the Matchroom helm from his father, Barry, understood that collaboration was necessary to keep up.—
Sarah Shephard,
New York Times,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Still, any further restrictions on shots by ACIP could have trickle-down effects, further depressing already declining immunization rates for vaccine-preventable diseases and raising the risk of outbreaks.—
Annika Kim Constantino,
CNBC,
18 Sep. 2025
-
Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah have all received approval from the USDA to move forward with these restrictions.—
Aliss Higham,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
As demand for electricity surged to power more electric devices in homes and Big Tech's boom in data centers, renewable energy has been the go-to source for the cheapest, fastest way to generate more juice.—
Jeff Young,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Meanwhile, global demand for data center capacity could more than triple by 2030, requiring upgrades in power, cooling, and connectivity.—
Maurice Obeid,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The woman and the infant, who wasn’t restrained, were thrown from the vehicle.—
Judith Kohler,
Denver Post,
12 Sep. 2025
-
The malnourished woman ran to a neighbor’s house and said she had been restrained in the man’s basement.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Items to bring include a flashlight with a red balloon over the lens and a folding chair.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Senators voted along party lines, 48-47, to approve the nomination of Stephen Miran, chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, to the remaining four months of a term on the Fed board.—
Sylvan Lane,
The Hill,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
That limitation has capped how much carbon plants can lock away.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
13 Sep. 2025
-
Gulf states like Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the UAE could utilize their vast sovereign wealth funds to impose trade limitations on Israel.—
Mostafa Salem,
CNN Money,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The two defended their actions, including jamming a paper shredder with incriminating documents, as being necessary to secure the release of American hostages being held in Lebanon and to curb Soviet expansionism.—
Josh Meyer,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Japan in particular is a signatory to international efforts to curb spyware abuse, including the Joint Statement on Efforts to Counter the Proliferation and Misuse of Commercial Spyware and the Pall Mall Process Code of Practice for States.—
Vas Panagiotopoulos,
ArsTechnica,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The result is a labor supply shock that economists say is constraining hiring, piling on pressure even as demand softens simultaneously.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Unlike Goldsmith and Horner, Russo was not constrained by a two-hour runtime, but free to let his music breathe and evolve across multiple episodes.—
Josh Weiss,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rein.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rein. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share