take the helm

idiom

1

: to steer a boat or ship

The ship's captain took the helm.

2

: to take a position of full control or authority in an organization

She took the helm of the university.

Examples of take the helm in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Last month, Chief Randy Moore, the first Black man to take the helm, resigned after more than 45 years with the Forest Service. —Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC News, 14 Mar. 2025

The new Netflix series sees Kate Hudson take the helm of her family's L.A. basketball team, the Waves, while navigating a chaotic sibling dynamic with her scheming brothers Sandy (Drew Tarver), Ness (Scott MacArthur) and Cam (Justin Theroux). —Julia Moore, People.com, 28 Feb. 2025

Nuñez will take the helm as early as Feb. 17 after the state board of governors approves her appointment and an employment contract is finalized. —Clara-Sophia Daly, Miami Herald, 13 Feb. 2025

Brian Niccol, the latest executive to take the helm, inherits a company beset by eroding profits, declining same-store sales, and a customer base increasingly skeptical of $6 lattes in an inflation-weary economy. —Shelley E. Kohan, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025

Rhymes for take the helm

• elm
• realm
• overwhelm