reins 1 of 2

noun

Definition of reinsnext
plural of rein
1
as in helm
the place of leadership or command after the president resigned, the vice president stepped in and took the reins of the company

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in power
the right or means to command or control others a peaceful transfer of the reins of government has always been a hallmark of our nation

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

reins

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of rein
as in curbs

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of reins
Noun
But the effectiveness of AI when given the reins for making trades remains to be seen. — Joshua Hong, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026 At times, the competitiveness has actually gotten the best of him, and those in charge need to pull back the reins. — Kansas City Star, 25 Aug. 2026 After another sluggish start by the first five, coach Natalie Nakase handed the reins over to her reserves for the majority of the second half. — Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 22 Aug. 2026 Handing McAtee the reins The 3-4-2-1 formation Forest have played with throughout pre-season will be familiar to Palace fans. — Paul Taylor, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026 Abercrombie & Fitch is also reportedly looking for local partners in China to hand off the reins of its business there and strengthen its performance. — Laya Neelakandan, CNBC, 21 Aug. 2026 Enter Lee, who became Carlyle’s co-CEO in 2018 and took the full reins after Youngkin launched his campaign for Virginia governor. — Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 20 Aug. 2026 Many believe that the dynamic duo taking over the reins have the energy and training to take the company into the future. — Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 20 Aug. 2026 Masters of the Universe later landed at Amazon MGM Studios with Travis Knight at the reins. — Daysia Tolentino, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reins
  1. helm
  2. power
  3. restrains
  4. chair
  5. hobbles
  6. handcuffs
  7. tethers
  8. chains
Noun
  • Parent company Gap announced yesterday that customer chief Michael Francis will take over in November for Haio Barbeito, who has been at Old Navy's helm since 2022.
    — Alex Harring, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
  • He is next scheduled to helm Treasure Island from a script by Adolescence co-creator Jack Thorne, with Hugh Jackman starring in the feature based on Robert Louis Stevenson’s work.
    — Abid Rahman, HollywoodReporter, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of helm
Noun
  • As Itauma continued attempting to throw power punches, Hrgović knew his opponent had nothing left and went for the kill.
    — Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The last act before festival founder Olivia Rodrigo, Roan turned it out with all of her powers—bolstered by a bold and bitchy, razor-sharp bob.
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of power
Verb
  • On that same front, Hoffman’s order restrains the NCAA from enforcing the rule of restitution.
    — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Elsewhere on the canvas, Cassatt restrains herself to match Katherine’s discipline.
    — Carmen Rosenberg-Miller, Artforum, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of restrains
Noun
  • Despite its rural Republican reputation, people were thrilled to see him, said Adrienne Quinn Martin, chair of the Hood County Democratic Party.
    — Eleanor Dearman Updated August 29, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Critics say her tenure as chair hasn’t adequately met the moment.
    — Sandra McDonald, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of chair
Verb
  • David Perno hobbles from his golf cart to the bench at Clarke Central’s football field and sits to watch practice start.
    — Jack Leo, AJC.com, 9 July 2026
  • Major marine war risk providers have started to scrap cover for vessels operating in the Persian Gulf as the fallout from a sudden security shock hobbles key shipping routes in the region.
    — Sam Meredith, CNBC, 3 Mar. 2026
Definition of hobbles
Verb
  • Federal agents were waiting on the tarmac to greet them, handcuffs at the ready.
    — Senior Editor, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The state government already handcuffs local municipalities with preemption laws.
    — Oliver Adams Larkin, Sun Sentinel, 10 July 2026
Definition of handcuffs
Verb
  • As someone who tethers himself to playoff odds, repeatedly speaks of intelligent spending and has a general manager in Carter Hawkins who once referenced 2032 to explain the lack of big moves last summer, Hoyer has had his critics.
    — Sahadev Sharma, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026
  • More adventurous than the Solterra, the Uncharted wears a thin line across the nose that tethers its LED running lights to its logo.
    — Marty Padgett, The Drive, 26 Feb. 2026
Definition of tethers
Verb
  • Restaurant chains Chipotle and QDOBA pulled jalapeños last week.
    — Youri Benadjaoud, ABC News, 9 Aug. 2026
  • To address this, Ivo uses a multi-step pipeline that chains together more than 400 model calls for each contract review.
    — Charlie Fink, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026
Definition of chains

Browse Nearby Words

reinitiating
reins
reins (in)
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Cite this Entry

“Reins.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reins. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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