under the influence

Idioms  

1. Impaired functioning owing to alcohol consumption, as in He was accused of driving under the influence. This expression, from legal jargon, is short for under the influence of intoxicating liquor and implies that one is not completely drunk. Since it is nearly always applied to drivers suspected or so accused, it has given rise to the police acronym DUI, for “driving under the influence.” [Second half of 1800s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

under the influence

In such a defence, New York law requires lawyers to show a defendant "acted under the influence of extreme emotional disturbance for which there was a reasonable explanation or excuse".

From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026

According to the news release, Pelosi did not have alcohol in his system at the time of testing, ruling out the possibility that he was driving under the influence.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 4, 2026

Geren had come under the influence of some midgrade officers, notably Col.

From Slate ● Jun. 5, 2026

Instead, it repeatedly shifted between wetter and drier conditions under the influence of orbital forcing tied to precession cycles.

From Science Daily ● May 27, 2026

For one thing, our methods of managing disease are constantly changing—partly under the influence of new bits of information brought in from all corners of biologic science.

From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas