on a string

Idioms  

1. Under someone's control, as in She'll drop everything whenever Sam asks for something—he's got her on a string. This expression, alluding to pulling an animal on a leash, dates from the late 1500s, when it was put as in a string.

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Example Sentences

Asked what they could do to remedy their defensive shortcomings, James replied: “I mean, obviously, you can’t do it individually by yourself. It has to be five guys on a string, communication always at an all-time high, letting you know what’s going on behind you and things of that nature.”

From Los Angeles Times

“Five guys being on a string,” James said.

From Los Angeles Times

“Obviously, you can’t do it individually by yourself. It has to be five guys on a string, communication, always at an all-time high.”

From Los Angeles Times

These nucleosomes connect like beads on a string and fold into chromatin fibers.

From Science Daily

The display also featured Dahl's personal set of boules, along with his own invention of a magnet on a string, which Dahl used for picking up each boule.

From BBC

Related Words

• attentive
• compliant
• deferential
• devoted
• docile
• dutiful
• faithful
• law-abiding
• loyal
• respectful
• subservient