hidden hand

British

noun

an unknown force or influence believed to be the cause of certain, often unfortunate, events

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

You’re talking about the hidden hand of heat, which I hadn’t really considered.

From Slate • Jul. 12, 2023

He's continued to aim at me and the BBC, describing my reporting and the media reaction as being directed by a "hidden hand" which is desperate to silence the truth.

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2023

“I don’t know if there was a connection, a hidden hand, if this had been set up,” he said.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 15, 2022

They have been the hidden hand in policy decisions and hiring and firings.

From Washington Post • May 6, 2018

The smouldering fire of his resentment had blazed up and overmastered him as he sensed the hidden hand of his enemy, and he had cursed the black name of Murray.

From Silver and Gold A Story of Luck and Love in a Western Mining Camp by Coolidge, Dane

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023