corner the market

Idioms and Phrases

Buy all or most of a commodity or stock so that its price goes up. For example, In a famous maneuver the Hunt brothers cornered the market in silver . This idiom uses corner in the sense of “drive would-be buyers into a corner.” [Early 1800s]

Example Sentences

They will corner the market on opening-round home games.

From Seattle Times

Jackson’s movies ushered in a new era of mining fantasy properties, with Amazon spending a fortune to corner the market on all things Tolkien.

From Salon

Although Mikkelsen quips that his “funny accent” has allowed him to corner the market on international baddies — an archetype that he has relished and embraced for nearly two decades, because “it’s better than not doing anything over there” — his most effective star vehicles, including Thomas Vinterberg’s “The Hunt” and Oscar-winning “Another Round,” have been made on home soil.

From Los Angeles Times

The largest U.S. newspaper chain, shares in which have risen over a third this year, sued Google in June for trying to corner the market for online advertising by monopolizing ad technology.

From Reuters

A British government official who previewed Sunak’s agenda on condition of anonymity said Sunak wants to discuss ways to protect supply chains from hostile actors and how to ensure China doesn’t corner the market on producing semiconductors and other key parts.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• acquire
• carry
• enjoy
• maintain
• occupy
• own
• retain
• seize