free rein

noun

: unrestricted liberty of action or decision

Examples of free rein 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.
The credulity-straining penultimate episode, in which the pair are given free rein by the night staff at the hospital to go to town on each other, is saved by their chemistry alone. Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2025 Sassoon, a Republican, said the deal amounted to a quid pro quo, one that would see Adams let off the hook in exchange for giving Trump free rein to target New York City’s immigrant communities. Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, 31 Mar. 2025 Trump’s pursuit of territorial expansion, seeking to annex Greenland and recover the Panama Canal, could give free rein to other expansionist powers, namely Russia and China. Agustino Fontevecchia, Forbes.com, 30 Mar. 2025 Many children who were dependent on USAID for food could die as Trump has made Elon Musk, accountable to no one with free rein to gut USAID as a cost-cutting measure, despite its being a mere fraction of the federal budget. Darin Stewart, The Denver Post, 28 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for free rein

Word History

First Known Use

1635, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of free rein was in 1635

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Cite this Entry

“Free rein.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/free%20rein. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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