free rein
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of free rein
First recorded in 1950–55
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.
Wilton has been given free rein to improve England's fielding.
From BBC ● Jul. 3, 2026
Nearly 90 percent of green spaces in Washington are under federal control, meaning the president has almost free rein to change them to his liking.
From Barron's ● May 19, 2026
“One of the things I knew going into the project is that we weren’t going to have free rein access to them at every minute, every second of their time in Los Angeles,” he said.
From Salon ● Mar. 27, 2026
Such an agreement would largely give the U.S. free rein over military operations in the territory in exchange for free trade, protection and the provision of basic services.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 7, 2026
Doing all that Chandresh asked of him and more, to the point where he was given free rein with everything from approving the design of the gates to ordering the canvas for the tents.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
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.
