call the shots

Idioms  

1. Exercise authority, be in charge, as in It's up to the boss to call the shots. This term probably alludes to determining accuracy in target practice. [Mid-1900s] Also see call the tune.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

call the shots

The role of prime minister does not typically include a say on military strategy or frontline operations, where Zelensky and his military chiefs call the shots.

From Barron's ● Jul. 12, 2026

And after years of advising C-suite decision makers, he wanted to call the shots.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2026

"I call all the shots. He doesn't call the shots," he was quoted as saying.

From BBC ● Jun. 8, 2026

Jorge Frias, secretary general of the Argentine fishing captains’ union, explained that on Argentine-flagged ships, the Chinese call the shots.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2024

Mom, acid-eyes: You coddle her, you let her call the shots.

From "Wintergirls" by Laurie Halse Anderson

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