he who pays the piper calls the tune

idiom

used to say that the person who pays for something controls how it is done

Browse Nearby Words

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“He who pays the piper calls the tune.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/he%20who%20pays%20the%20piper%20calls%20the%20tune. Accessed 4 Mar. 2025.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!