wrap around one's little finger

verb

To successfully control or exert influence over, especially for a sustained period of time.

“She has all of them wrapped around her little finger. They'd do anything for her.”

Similar
play someone like a violinturn around one's fingertwist around one's little fingerwind around one's little finger
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Meanings

verbwrap around one's little finger (third-person singular simple present wraps around one's little finger, present participle wrapping around one's little finger, simple past and past participle wrapped around one's little finger)

present singular third person wraps around one's little finger · participle present wrapping around one's little finger · participle past wrapped around one's little finger · past wrapped around one's little finger · alternative wrap around one's finger

  1. idiomatictransitiveTo successfully control or exert influence over, especially for a sustained period of time.

    She has all of them wrapped around her little finger. They'd do anything for her.

    Synonyms: play someone like a violin, turn around one's finger, twist around one's little finger, wind around one's little finger

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo successfully control or exert influence over, especially for a sustained period of time.

Similar
play someone like a violinturn around one's fingertwist around one's little fingerwind around one's little finger
Also see
play someone like a violinturn around one's fingertwist around one's little fingerwind around one's little finger

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 玩弄於股掌之間 /玩弄于股掌之间
  • 玩弄於股掌之間 /玩弄于股掌之间 (wánnòng yú gǔzhǎng zhījiān)to successfully control or influence
Czech omotat si kolem prstu
  • omotat si kolem prstuto successfully control or influence
Dutch om zijn/haar vinger winden
  • om zijn/haar vinger windento successfully control or influence
Finnish kietoa pikkusormensa ympärille
  • kietoa pikkusormensa ympärilleto successfully control or influence
French mener quelqu'un par le bout du nez
  • mener quelqu'un par le bout du nezto successfully control or influence
German um den Finger wickeln, um den kleinen Finger wickeln
  • um den Finger wickelnto successfully control or influence
  • um den kleinen Finger wickelnto successfully control or influence
Hungarian ujja köré csavar, kisujja köré csavar
  • ujja köré csavarto successfully control or influence
  • kisujja köré csavarto successfully control or influence
Irish déan súgán de
  • déan súgán deto successfully control or influence
Italian avere qualcuno in pugno
  • avere qualcuno in pugnoto successfully control or influence
Polish owijać sobie wokół palca, owinąć sobie wokół palca
  • owijać sobie wokół palcato successfully control or influence
  • owinąć sobie wokół palcato successfully control or influence
Portuguese encoleirar
  • encoleirarto successfully control or influence
Russian вить верёвки
  • вить верёвки (vitʹ verjóvki)to successfully control or influence
Spanish tener a alguien comiendo de la mano
  • tener a alguien comiendo de la manoto successfully control or influence
Swedish linda runt sitt finger, linda kring sitt finger
  • linda runt sitt fingerto successfully control or influence
  • linda kring sitt fingerto successfully control or influence
Cite this entry
APA

wrap around one's little finger. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wrap%20around%20one's%20little%20finger

MLA

“wrap around one's little finger.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wrap%20around%20one's%20little%20finger. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “wrap around one's little finger,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wrap%20around%20one's%20little%20finger.

Source: wrap around one's little finger on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.