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
Justin Barocas, a founder of the Anomaly agency, is taking up the reins as CEO, while Kamen will move to an executive-chairman role and Scherma will maintain his position as president. — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026 For years, critics also questioned Dudamel’s silence about Chavez and Maduro and the human rights abuses and corruption that marked their reins. — Max Feliu, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026 Three consecutive mayors had called for an end to the carriage rides because of safety concerns, only to have lawmakers yank back the reins. — Anthony Izaguirre, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026 And this past offseason, Canales handed the play-calling reins to OC Brad Idzik, his longtime coaching partner dating to their days in Seattle in 2019. — Jonathan Jones, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2026 Motorola invented the mobile phone, but by the time Brown was handed the reins, its cellphone business had been outpaced by Nokia and Samsung. — Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 25 Sep. 2026 Feltrin, who will complete his term in October, is expected to hand over the reins to Elia Vismara, who has been chairman of his family’s glass firm Vismaravetro since 2025. — Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 23 Sep. 2026 From 2027, Rebordinos will pass the reins to Maialen Beloki, his deputy director for 11 years and the first woman to head the San Sebastián Film Festival in its 74-year history. — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 19 Sep. 2026 At 50, Ternus is the same age as ​Cook when ⁠he took over the reins as CEO from co-founder Steve Jobs in 2011. — Greta Cross, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reins
  1. helm
  2. power
  3. restrains
  4. chair
  5. hobbles
  6. handcuffs
  7. tethers
  8. chains
Noun
  • All are under the helm of billionaire David Ellison and his new co-CEO Ynon Kreiz.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 6 Oct. 2026
  • In both versions, the helm sits at the center of the main deck, protected by a wraparound windscreen with a reverse rake.
    — Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of helm
Noun
  • Its boosted flat-six engine receives a power bump, and rear-axle steering is now standard, as are larger brakes with six-piston calipers up front.
    — Bradley Iger, Robb Report, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Europe is now home to some of the most promising companies building clean power, while remaining an expensive place to buy it.
    — Sophie Dembinski, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of power
Verb
  • Farther down, the levee that restrains the rivers is a low line of trees into the horizon.
    — Sean Macaday, Sacbee.com, 20 Sep. 2026
  • The constitutional exclusionary rule restrains government, not private parties, so the Fourth Amendment generally does not bar evidence wrongfully obtained by a private actor.
    — Jihun Joun, The Conversation, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of restrains
Noun
  • Adrien Michel, winner of the 2025 le19M Métiers d’Art Prize, introduced a capsule inspired by Marcel Breuer’s Cesca B34 chair, anchored by a shirt that folds out of a leather case made with Studio MTX.
    — Tina Isaac-Goizé, Vogue, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The Fulton County Commission will look much different in January after voters choose a new chair and either three or four new commissioners.
    — Reed Williams, AJC.com, 17 Oct. 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 21 Oct. 2026.

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