mover and shaker

Idioms  

1. A person who wields power and influence in a particular activity or field, as in He's one of the movers and shakers in the art world. At first the two nouns referred specifically to God, alluding to the belief that a divine force was responsible for all events. The current usage refers only to human beings. [Second half of 1800s]

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Example Sentences

"So he was a real mover and shaker of the movement".

From BBC • May 17, 2026

China’s tech world is watching closely what will happen to Mr. Bao, who knows or has worked with nearly every mover and shaker in the industry.

From New York Times • Feb. 22, 2023

Before the invasion, Feb. 24 hadn’t been much of a mover and shaker as a date in world history.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 20, 2023

“He was the main mover and shaker in rebuilding labor’s political clout,” Steve Rosenthal, a former AFL-CIO political director, told the Times of Mr. McEntee in 2011.

From Washington Post • Jul. 11, 2022

All eyes are on an agent: a protagonist, a mover and shaker, a driving force.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker