give free rein to

give free rein to (one)

To give one complete freedom to do what one wants or chooses. "Rein" refers to the reins of a horse. Can you believe the boss gave free rein to me? Finally, I can present a campaign with my own vision!
See also: free, give, rein
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

give free rein to someone

 and give someone free rein
Fig. to allow someone to be completely in charge (of something). (Alludes to loosening the reins of a horse and therefore control.) The boss gave the manager free rein with the new project. The principal gave free rein to Mrs. Brown in her classes.
See also: free, give, rein
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

give free rein to

see under free hand.
See also: free, give, rein
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
See also:
  • give free rein to (one)
  • give (one) free rein
  • give someone free rein
  • give full rein to (one)
  • allow
  • allow (one) free rein
  • give/allow somebody/something free/full rein
  • give (one) full rein
  • allow (one) full rein
  • free rein
References in periodicals archive
Global Game Jam Tunisia 2018 will be an opportunity for geeks to share their experiences and give free rein to their creativity, be they designers, illustrators, developers, musicians, amateurs, students or professionals.
Around thirty youngsters aged between 12 and 18 from the Little Arts Academy, who were already on a city dance programme, spent close to a week working with Abou to express their passion and give free rein to their creativity and their showmanship.
'We should not be railroading this important measure, although it's a retrogressive bill, because the hallmark of a deliberative assembly, like this honorable chamber, is to give free rein to extensive debates so that differing positions can be heard,' Lagman said.
You see, what we really need in this county is to give free rein to the callous nastiness of heartless ideologies like hers.
Among them, "neutrality is an excuse to give free rein to a bully."
The Politician's Husband BBC Two, 9pm David Tennant is allowed to give free rein to his talent for smouldering intensity in the eventful final episode of Paula Milne's engrossing political drama.
It is to be hoped that this will not be taken as an opportunity to give free rein to developers and speculators, to build upon even more greenfield sites.
Ultimate responsibility for the creation of unfair fees lies with British MPs who began the dismantling of public education, but the Scottish government's decision to give free rein to university principals to set a maximum of u9,000-a-year fees (BD5,512) for English students is misguided.
He says he had no option but to "give free rein to my affairs as if they were never important".
The Haltwhistle Film Project has begun a special course at Newcastle College's Hexham campus, allowing adults with learning disabilities to give free rein to their creativity and further their animation skills within a supportive environment.
PARENTS in the Midlands are being urged to give free rein to their little ones imagination by taking them along to a special Easter event.
WHILE the authorities of racing should be applauded for attempting to root out corruption, I would be interested to know which PR svengali advised the clerks of courses to give free rein to packs of television news crews to start filming at, or indeed on, the courses.
THE air corridors of Ireland give free rein to the military build-up of American aircraft on the way to a possible war with Iraq.
Washington Benavides, longtime professor of literature and a frequent winner of national poetry awards in Uruguay, has distinguished himself as a protean poet, one who forgoes any adherence to a consistent, personal style in order to give free rein to a restless imagination by displaying the most diverse range of themes, language, metaphors, and images.
AU believes the measure is designed to give free rein to groups like the Christian Coalition, which seek to draft churches as cogs in their right-wing political machine.