Meanings
present singular third person takes the reins · participle present taking the reins · past took the reins · participle past taken the reins
- idiomaticSynonym of take control.
a general election campaign focused on whether the pro-military camp should remain in power or pro-democracy opposition groups should take the reins.
2023 May 14, Nikkei staff writers, “Thailand election latest: Opposition Move Forward, Pheu Thai coy on coalition”, in Nikkei, archived from the original on 14 May 2023Synonyms: take control
Synonyms & antonyms
verbSynonym of take control.
Cite this entry
take the reins. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/take%20the%20reins
“take the reins.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/take%20the%20reins. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “take the reins,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/take%20the%20reins.
Source: take the reins on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.