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
And this attitude rather suits the powers that be in media and entertainment, for whom attention of any kind suffices.
—
Lauren Michele Jackson, The New Yorker, 27 Feb. 2025
The Wildcats may not have had a great week, but the committee slotting them on the No. 3 line during its initial bracket reveal tells us how highly the powers that be regard UK’s massive collection of top-end wins.
—Jim Root, The Athletic, 20 Feb. 2025
Moana 2 started off as a Disney+ series, until the powers that be realized that trading enormous box-office returns for theoretical streaming growth was ridiculous and reworked the project into a theatrical release.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 26 Nov. 2024
For one thing, the powers that be don’t take kindly to the idea of multiples.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 15 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the powers that be
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Lauren Michele Jackson, The New Yorker, 27 Feb. 2025
The Wildcats may not have had a great week, but the committee slotting them on the No. 3 line during its initial bracket reveal tells us how highly the powers that be regard UK’s massive collection of top-end wins.
—Jim Root, The Athletic, 20 Feb. 2025
Moana 2 started off as a Disney+ series, until the powers that be realized that trading enormous box-office returns for theoretical streaming growth was ridiculous and reworked the project into a theatrical release.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 26 Nov. 2024
For one thing, the powers that be don’t take kindly to the idea of multiples.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 15 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the powers that be
Cite this Entry
“The powers that be.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20powers%20that%20be. Accessed 4 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share