hold sway over

Idioms  

1. 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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Example Sentences

Analysts say her departure as party leader could mark the end of the family's dominance in Thai politics, though some believe the Shinawatras still hold sway over Pheu Thai.

From Barron's • Oct. 22, 2025

These fearsome carnivores, known for their splotchy fur and cackling “laughter,” form complicated social networks in which high-ranking females hold sway over males and other, less dominant females.

From Science Magazine • Mar. 29, 2024

In recent years Kissinger has continued to hold sway over Washington’s power brokers as an elder statesman.

From Washington Times • May 27, 2023

But, in parallel to that, I think part of a conductor’s power, and their authority to hold sway over the enormous human instrument that is an orchestra, is their personality.

From Washington Post • Oct. 14, 2022

Not by the sword, but by the spirit, would he have Spain henceforth hold sway over mankind, and especially over the Spanish-descended peoples of South America.

From Spanish Highways and Byways by Bates, Katharine Lee

Related Words

• administer
• command
• conduct
• dominate
• govern
• handle
• lead
• manage
• manipulate
• oversee
• regulate
• rule
• run
• supervise