rein
Americannoun
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reins
plural
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Often a leather strap, fastened to each end of the bit of a bridle, by which the rider or driver controls a horse or other animal by pulling so as to exert pressure on the bit.
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any of certain other straps or thongs forming part of a harness, as a checkrein.
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any means of curbing, controlling, or directing; check; restraint.
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reins, the controlling or directing power.
the reins of government.
verb (used with object)
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reins,
present (3rd person singular)
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reined,
past participle, past
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reining
present participle
verb (used without object)
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reins,
present (3rd person singular)
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reined,
past participle, past
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reining
present participle
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to obey the reins.
a horse that reins well.
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to rein a horse or other animal.
idioms
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give rein to, to give complete freedom to; indulge freely: Also give free rein to, give full rein to.
to give rein to one's imagination.
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draw rein, to curtail one's speed or progress; halt.
The rider saw the snake and drew rein sharply.
noun
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(often plural) one of a pair of long straps, usually connected together and made of leather, used to control a horse, running from the side of the bit or the headstall to the hand of the rider, driver, or trainer
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a similar device used to control a very young child
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any form or means of control
to take up the reins of government
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the direction in which a rider turns (in phrases such as on a left ( or right ) rein , change the rein )
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something that restrains, controls, or guides
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to allow considerable freedom; remove restraints
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to control carefully; limit
we have to keep a tight rein on expenditure
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with the reins held loosely so that the horse is relatively unconstrained
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to take up the reins so that the distance between hand and bit is lessened, in order that the horse may be more collected
verb
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(tr) to check, restrain, hold back, or halt with or as if with reins
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to control or guide (a horse) with a rein or reins
they reined left
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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reinsimple
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reinssimple
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have reinedperfect
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has reinedperfect
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am reiningprogressive
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are reiningprogressive
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is reiningprogressive
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have been reiningperfect progressive
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has been reiningperfect progressive
Past
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reinedsimple
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had reinedperfect
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was reiningprogressive
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were reiningprogressive
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had been reiningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of rein
1300–50; (noun) Middle English rene, reine, raine < Old French re ( s ) ne < Vulgar Latin *retina, noun derivative of Latin retinēre to hold back, retain; (v.) Middle English rainen, reinen, derivative of the noun
Explanation
Rein is both a noun and a verb for guiding and restraining. You can use the long strap, or rein, on a horse to control its speed and direction, and you can rein in your own tongue by closing your mouth. Rein rhymes with rain but the two words describe very different things. Rain comes down all over the place, uncontrolled, while a rein holds things in place or controls what comes out. As a noun, rein is often used as a plural word "reins" when talking about actual leather restraints used in horse riding, but a rein also is something non-physical like when you put a rein on spending by shopping less.
Vocabulary lists containing rein
30 GRE Words Beginning with "Q" "R" and "S"
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Obstacle Course Vocabulary
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The Sound and the Fury
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
In the Atlantic, it tends to rein in the strength and frequency of hurricanes, but in the Pacific it has the opposite effect.
From Barron's ● Oct. 12, 2026
So have efforts in some places to rein in property taxes.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026
President Emmanuel Macron has struggled to rein in spending that ballooned in response to the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
"We will legislate for an independent regulation to rein these cowboys in," she said, announcing legislation for an independent watchdog of property agents.
From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026
A new “facilitator” takes over the therapy group to help rein things in, and keep the therapy rodeo from being overly traumatic to impressionable young minds.
From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman
Now you must let go of those reins and accept that it’s OK to live on a finite amount of money.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026
Just months before his passing, Jobs handed the reins to his longtime deputy, Tim Cook.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
Mervyn has now largely handed the reins of the farm over to one of his two sons, offering assistance when required.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
At Versace, Vitale was also the first non-family member to oversee design, taking the reins from Donatella Versace -- sister of founder Gianni Versace -- in April 2025.
From Barron's ● Sep. 16, 2026
And my aunt stood at the rail, holding the reins and looking fiery-eyed—like some sort of windblown Messenger of the Apocalypse.
From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan
As so many staff left these labs and research centers after their projects were reined in or canceled, the upheaval is likely to linger, the scientists, many of them based in Boulder, warn.
From Barron's ● Jun. 1, 2026
The winter resort of Trojena in the mountains of the north west has also been reined in.
From BBC ● May 25, 2026
You reined in your spending, but many people have trouble making their rent and paying for food and transportation without exceeding their income.
From MarketWatch ● May 8, 2026
The oil giants that for years reined in fossil-fuel spending and showered investors in cash are warning the Iran war is severely tightening global oil supplies—and they are in no hurry to change course.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 1, 2026
The Cauldron-Born reined up suddenly; then, without a gesture, turned their horses and rode silently back toward the hills.
From "The Book of Three" by Lloyd Alexander
Researchers at OpenAI have warned that these records will be critical to reining in future superintelligent AIs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
He also calls for reining in wasteful government spending while protecting essential social services like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
Social media giants face US$78 million fines if they fail to protect young users from harmful content, Australia's prime minister said Tuesday as he unveiled draft laws reining in big tech.
From Barron's ● Sep. 8, 2026
It raises some reasonable questions therefore about how to balance reining in borrowing with protecting mildly better confidence?
From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026
Robert said, reining his mount to a sudden halt beside an ancient barrow.
From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
