on a string

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.

Example Sentences

As well as his own TV stand-up specials, Bargatze has appeared on a string of late-night talk shows including Seth Meyers, Conan O'Brien and Jimmy Fallon, as well as variety show Saturday Night Live.

From BBC

Coulter has written or co-written several songs for Eurovision, including the UK's 1967 winning song, Puppet on a String, which singer Jade Thirlwall sampled last year.

From BBC

He has written or co-written several songs for Eurovision, including the UK's winning song "Puppet on a String" in 1967, which singer Jade Thirlwall used a sample of in a song last year.

From BBC

In 2023, The Times reported on a string of Romanian citizens who had been arrested for skimming EBT funds through ATMs, including Virgil Negru, a member of the Eforie City Council, who was charged with felony forgery and identity theft.

From Los Angeles Times

In the media, she was painted as a "brazen hussy", "one of those saucy females who like to keep a male on a string".

From BBC

Related Words

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