under the influence

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]

Example Sentences

Bohm was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs and had no prior driving offenses before the deadly crash in his BMW, his attorney told the judge Monday in seeking to dismiss the murder charges.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

In a statement, prosecutors in Naumburg in Saxony-Anhalt said Taleb A. "was not under the influence of alcohol or similar substances during the rampage and apparently acted out of dissatisfaction and frustration over the course and outcome of a civil dispute and the failure of various criminal complaints".

Read more on BBC

County Sheriff’s Department was investigating the crash site early Saturday morning, a motorist drove through the crime scene and was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, according to a department spokesperson.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

A major issue is the expanding bear population, which is growing fast due to an abundance of food -- including acorns, deer and boars -- under the influence of a warming climate, experts say.

Read more on Barron's

“Die My Love” seeks the eternal relevance of a film like “A Woman Under the Influence,” which so achingly portrays a mother’s undying love for her children amidst psychological duress.

Read more on Salon