under the influence

Idioms

Impaired functioning owing to alcohol consumption, as in He was accused of driving under the influence. This expression, from legal jargon, is short for under the influence of intoxicating liquor and implies that one is not completely drunk. Since it is nearly always applied to drivers suspected or so accused, it has given rise to the police acronym DUI, for “driving under the influence.” [Second half of 1800s]

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.

In contrast, general relativity describes time as something that can stretch and bend under the influence of mass and energy.

From Science Daily • May 3, 2026

A major issue is the expanding bear population, which is growing fast due to an abundance of food -- including acorns, deer and boars -- under the influence of a warming climate, experts say.

From Barron's • Nov. 8, 2025

The 21-year-old truck driver arrested after a fiery crash that killed three people on the 10 Freeway in Ontario was not under the influence of drugs at the time, authorities say.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 6, 2025

Circuit Court of Appeals, which ruled it is unconstitutional to charge someone with illegal gun possession if the defendant was not under the influence at the time of the arrest.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 20, 2025

As I exchanged a translation for an exercise, I happened to look his way: there I found myself under the influence of the ever-watchful blue eye.

From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023