reining (in)

verb

present participle of rein (in)
as in containing
to keep from exceeding a desirable degree or level (as of expression) try to rein in your spending, so you have some money left for saving

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for reining (in)
  1. containing
  2. controlling
  3. regulating
  4. curbing
  5. keeping
  6. pulling in
  7. restraining
Verb
  • This was some 50 pallets containing more than 150,000 pieces of athletic gear – 6,500 pairs of shoes alone – all of which had to be sorted by team and distributed across campus in less than a month.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Three months earlier, he’d been accused of violating parole for a burglary conviction, after allegedly using his car to ram a vehicle containing his girlfriend and her 5-year-old child.
    — Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of containing
Verb
  • So is controlling blood pressure, treating chronic conditions such as diabetes, avoiding smoking, limiting excessive alcohol use, getting enough sleep and maintaining a healthy weight.
    — Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026
  • For example, crabgrass treatments are most effective when applied in spring, and fall is ideal for controlling broadleaf weeds.
    — Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of controlling
Verb
  • Some research suggests breakfast skipping may be associated with greater hunger later in the day and difficulty regulating food intake, Wallach says.
    — Olivia McIntosh, Martha Stewart, 2 Aug. 2026
  • The temperature-regulating fabric, made from a blend of 65 percent cotton and 35 percent linen, is the perfect choice for any upcoming bridal or baby showers, picnics, or even as a cool swimsuit cover-up at the beach.
    — Caroline Hughes, Travel + Leisure, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of regulating
Verb
  • Deploying renewables paired with intelligent energy conservation and grid management, individuals, businesses, municipalities, and entire countries are earnestly curbing their CO2 emissions.
    — John Vaillant, Time, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Higher-voltage architecture reduces current loads, curbing heat buildup and boosting efficiency during sustained performance runs.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of curbing
Verb
  • But Kelly was barely thrown out at the plate, keeping the Jays alive for a brief moment.
    — Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The idea is that keeping their community healthy will keep kids in school learning.
    — Michael Abeyta, CBS News, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of keeping
Verb
  • Even as retailers anticipate pulling in more tourist traffic as a result of the development, lung experts cite health concerns connected to the move.
    — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 29 July 2026
  • Joy Behar shocked The View Wednesday morning upon pulling in married interview guest Anson Mount for a long kiss on the lips live on the air.
    — Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 22 July 2026
Definition of pulling in
Verb
  • According to a recall notice posted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, an issue in the second row could prevent occupants from adequately restraining themselves inside the vehicle, raising the risk of injury during a collision.
    — Taylor Ardrey, USA Today, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Jor’Dell Richardson was lying face up on the ground with two officers restraining at least one of his hands when another officer shot him in the stomach.
    — Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of restraining
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.

Browse Nearby Words

reining
reining (in)
reinitiate
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Reining (in).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reining%20%28in%29. Accessed 10 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All