beholden to

idiom

formal
: owing a favor or gift to (someone) : having obligations to (someone)
politicians who are beholden to special interest groups
She works for herself, and so is beholden to no one.

Examples of beholden to in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Carter saw that as encouragement to not be beholden to existing public interest power figures, ruffling a few feathers. Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Newsweek, 30 Dec. 2024 But this year, artists seemed less beholden to the bean counters at record labels and tech companies, releasing albums tailored to their own stories and musical interests. Stephen Kearse, TIME, 8 Dec. 2024 Unlike reporters, news creators are often not beholden to editorial standards and substantial fact-checking—something that is one high-profile defamation lawsuit away from changing but that, for now, marks a difference. Makena Kelly, WIRED, 27 Dec. 2024 Being an Independent will become more of a common attribute in 2025, as officials look to brand themselves as not beholden to one party or another. Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 24 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for beholden to 

Dictionary Entries Near beholden to

Cite this Entry

“Beholden to.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beholden%20to. Accessed 15 Jan. 2025.

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!