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Synonyms

rein in

British  

verb

  1. (adverb) to stop (a horse) by pulling on the reins

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

At the same time, live events seem to have stayed steady despite a prolonged period of reduced consumer sentiment, during which media companies typically get hammered as customers seek to rein in spending.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 30, 2026

Kheir agrees not enough is done to rein in racism.

From BBC • Mar. 20, 2026

But it also uses higher interest rates as a means to rein in inflation.

From Barron's • Mar. 13, 2026

There are now more than a dozen similar bills winding through statehouses from Olympia, Wash., to Albany, N.Y., as legislators try to rein in a practice the majority of Americans see as dangerous and corrosive.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 4, 2026

I cheered as Kekeli’s side won, trying to rein in my delight as I watched her jubilate.

From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo

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.