hold sway over

Idioms and Phrases

Dominate, have a controlling influence over, as in He held sway over the entire department . This idiom uses the noun sway in the sense of “power” or “dominion,” a usage dating from the late 1500s.

Example Sentences

These fearsome carnivores, known for their splotchy fur and cackling “laughter,” form complicated social networks in which high-ranking females hold sway over males and other, less dominant females.

From Science Magazine

“You had truly evil empires that were murdering people and enslaving them in order to hold sway over their part of the world.”

From New York Times

Other federal officials are looking to hold sway over the growing AI sector.

From Washington Times

Three years on, New Zealand is seeing a growing populist movement that could hold sway over a coalition government and push to remove programs that were designed to address inequality and boost the presence of Maori.

From Reuters

"I think his staff recognises the danger that he is in right now, but they want to hold sway over the Republican party," says Anthony Scaramucci, who was Trump's communications adviser for a brief period when he was president.

From BBC

Related Words

• administer
• command
• conduct
• deal with
• dominate
• govern
• handle
• lead
• manage
• manipulate
• oversee
• regulate
• rule
• run
• supervise