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.
Examples of the powers that be in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
There was an excitement, and then it would just get watered down a little bit by the powers that be.
—
Liza Lentini, SPIN, 14 June 2024
Digital technology, including social media, has flattened hierarchies and emboldened the masses, who consequently hold the powers that be in less and less awe and more and more to account.
—Robert D. Kaplan, Foreign Affairs, 8 Aug. 2023
That all changed thanks to the help of a few pivotal Mattel employees who passionately told the powers that be that little Black girls deserved to have Black Barbies.
—Hedy Phillips, Peoplemag, 19 June 2024
Fortunately, the powers that be, and Sterling, 85, had already planned for a reduction in his 2024 schedule.
—Bob Raissman, New York Daily News, 15 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for the powers that be 
Liza Lentini, SPIN, 14 June 2024
Digital technology, including social media, has flattened hierarchies and emboldened the masses, who consequently hold the powers that be in less and less awe and more and more to account.
—Robert D. Kaplan, Foreign Affairs, 8 Aug. 2023
That all changed thanks to the help of a few pivotal Mattel employees who passionately told the powers that be that little Black girls deserved to have Black Barbies.
—Hedy Phillips, Peoplemag, 19 June 2024
Fortunately, the powers that be, and Sterling, 85, had already planned for a reduction in his 2024 schedule.
—Bob Raissman, New York Daily News, 15 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for the powers that be
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'the powers that be.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“The powers that be.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20powers%20that%20be. Accessed 7 Jul. 2024.
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