had someone by the short hairs

A form of have someone by the short hairs — To have someone in a difficult situation in which he or she is without alternatives and can be controlled.

Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

verb
  1. participlepastsimple past and past participle of have someone by the short hairs
Cite this entry
APA

had someone by the short hairs. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/had%20someone%20by%20the%20short%20hairs

MLA

“had someone by the short hairs.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/had%20someone%20by%20the%20short%20hairs. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “had someone by the short hairs,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/had%20someone%20by%20the%20short%20hairs.

Source: had someone by the short hairs on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.