have someone by the balls

verb

To exercise total control over someone; to be in a position to threaten or extort someone.

Similar
have someone by the short hairs § Synonyms
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Meanings

verbhave someone by the balls (third-person singular simple present has someone by the balls, present participle having someone by the balls, simple past and past participle had someone by the balls)

present singular third person has someone by the balls · participle present having someone by the balls · participle past had someone by the balls · past had someone by the balls

  1. idiomaticslangvulgarTo exercise total control over someone; to be in a position to threaten or extort someone.

    You think I wouldn't have him Unless I could have him by the balls You think I just dish it out You don't think I take it at all

    1992, Ani DiFranco, I'm No Heroine
    2 more examples

    I feared what was to come. I was knuckling under to my blackmailer. It was a sure sign of weakness. If he didn't already, he'd know he had me by the balls as soon as he saw me wearing the shirt.

    2004, Mark A. Roeder, Someone is Watching, page 138

    Angel Batista immediately makes the connection that Quinn has been banging Nadia, a stripper working for Isaac’s people. Quinn adamantly denies that he would steal evidence and then storms into the strip club to demand that Nadia be set free. Unfortunately, they have him by the balls because they could kill Nadia at any moment and destroy Quinn’s police career once and for all if they revealed his tampering with evidence.

    November 13 2012, Socialitelife.com, ‘Dexter’ Recap: ‘Chemistry’https://web.archive.org/web/20151229215607/http://www.socialitelife.com/dexter-recap-chemistry-11-2012

    Synonyms: have someone by the short hairs § Synonyms

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo exercise total control over someone; to be in a position to threaten or extort someone.

Similar
have someone by the short hairs § Synonyms
Also see
have someone by the short hairs

Translations

German jemanden am Wickel haben, jemanden am Arsch haben
  • jemanden am Wickel habento exercise total control over someone
  • jemanden am Arsch habento exercise total control over someone
Polish trzymać krótko, trzymać w garści
  • trzymać krótkoto exercise total control over someone
  • trzymać w garścito exercise total control over someone
  • trzymać w szachuto exercise total control over someone
  • mieć w garścito exercise total control over someone
  • mieć w ręceto exercise total control over someone
  • mieć w rękuto exercise total control over someone
Spanish tener a alguien por los huevos, tener a alguien por los cojones
  • tener a alguien por los huevosto exercise total control over someone
  • tener a alguien por los cojonesto exercise total control over someone
  • coger por los huevosto exercise total control over someone
  • tener agarrado por los cojonesto exercise total control over someone
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

Source: have someone by the balls on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.