lead by the nose

Idioms and Phrases

Dominate or control someone, as in “The Moor ... will tenderly be led by the nose as asses are” (Shakespeare, Othello , 1:3). This expression alludes to an animal being led by a ring passed through its nostrils. [Late 1500s]

Related Words

• command
• control
• dictate
• influence
• lead
• manage
• monopolize
• overshadow
• prevail
• run