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hold sway over

SEE SYNONYMS FOR hold sway over

Dominate, have a controlling influence over, as in He held sway over the entire department. This idiom uses the noun sway in the sense of “power” or “dominion,” a usage dating from the late 1500s.

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You may have read the word "simmer" in a recipe or two, but what does it really mean?
To cook in water that begins cold and then reaches a boil.
To stew in a sauce for a long time.
To cook in water, just below boiling temperature.
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Words nearby hold sway over

holdout, hold out on, holdover, hold someone's feet to the fire, hold still for, hold sway over, hold the bag, hold the fort, hold the line, hold the phone, hold the purse strings
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

Words related to hold sway over

overrule, persuade, impress, inspire, dominate, handle, lead, oversee, supervise, manage, rule, administer, command, govern, run, regulate, conduct, manipulate, deal with, control