the powers that be

idiom

: the people who decide what is allowed or acceptable in a group, organization, etc.
The students wanted to have a big party, but the powers that be didn't approve.

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Or maybe the powers that be have realised that was always going to be a stretch too far. Matt Slater, The Athletic, 14 Dec. 2024 And, once again, despite what appears to be a successful expansion of the college football postseason in 2024, the powers that be have created a system that is exclusive, not inclusive. Chuck Todd, NBC News, 6 Dec. 2024 If only the powers that be at Disney invested the same energy that goes into those never-ending Marvel productions and better championed this gem, led by the underrated Ben Wang and Jimmy Liu. Ew Staff, EW.com, 6 Dec. 2024 Arbeloa enjoys excellent relationships with the powers that be at the Bernabéu and has been tipped to have a role in the first team in the near future following Ancelotti's exit, whenever that may come, in some capacity, even if that may initially be as an assistant coach. Sam Leveridge, Forbes, 6 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for the powers that be 

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Cite this Entry

“The powers that be.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20powers%20that%20be. Accessed 1 Jan. 2025.

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