have/keep somebody on a string

have (someone) on a string

To have great influence over someone. If you want to have someone on a string, flattery always helps.

To maintain great influence over one. If you want to keep someone on a string, flattery always helps.

make somebody do what you want because you have control over them: Of course, he’s rich and powerful enough to keep several people on a string.

This idiom refers to a puppet (= a model of a person or an animal) that is controlled with strings attached to parts of its body.

See also: have, keep, on, somebody, string

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

See also:

词组	have/keep somebody on a string
释义	have/keep somebody on a string have (someone) on a string To have great influence over someone. If you want to have someone on a string, flattery always helps. See also: have, on, string keep (one) on a string To maintain great influence over one. If you want to keep someone on a string, flattery always helps. See also: keep, on, string Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. have/keep somebody on a ˈstring make somebody do what you want because you have control over them: Of course, he’s rich and powerful enough to keep several people on a string. This idiom refers to a puppet (= a model of a person or an animal) that is controlled with strings attached to parts of its body. See also: have, keep, on, somebody, string Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary See also: all over the map map a great many great many have to go some have to go some to (do something) bag of wind have a good name (somewhere or in something) a people person a walking disaster
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