bring to heel

Idioms  

1. Force to obey, subjugate. For example, The prisoners were quickly brought to heel. This term transfers commanding a dog to come close behind its master to similar control over human beings or affairs. [Second half of 1800s]

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Example Sentences

It is instead the unknowable that makes the animal an animal — the thing that makes EO a flesh-and-blood part of a natural order, the thing that humans have consistently tried to bring to heel only to destroy.

From New York Times

Regulators across the world are working out how to bring to heel the crypto sector, which is subject to patchy rules.

From Reuters

For five years he was able to bring to heel the vast majority of the GOP caucus through childish tactics.

From Salon

In regulatory and legal proposals, Beijing telegraphed its desire to bring to heel an industry characterized by cutthroat competition and huge influence over sensitive political issues like labor and data security.

From New York Times

Crises like these are both the worst of times and the best of times to try to break this economic doom loop and bring to heel a shadow banking system that is responsible for creating all that credit.

From Washington Post

Related Words

• conquer
• curb
• pacify
• restrain
• soften
• subdue
• suppress
• temper
• vanquish