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vocabulary
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free rein
in a sentence

show 29 more with this conextual meaning
  • Fishermen sometimes shot duck loads at them, but for the most part the gulls were given free rein on the docks; their gray white droppings stained everything.†   (source)
  • These might form a certain image or pattern—at least, if we give our imagination free rein.†   (source)
  • That year, Robben Island's commanding officer was Colonel Van Aarde, a rather amiable, harmless fellow who allowed us free rein.†   (source)
  • But, as she did every night, Blanca had locked her door and slipped out the window in the direction of the river The last few days before returning to the city, her summer passion took on a dramatic quality, and with a new separation imminent, the two young people seized every possible opportunity to give free rein to their desires.†   (source)
  • If I were given free rein, dominion over her body, I knew I'd discover it by instinct.†   (source)
  • We also have a contract which explicitly gives me free rein to make the editorial changes I deem necessary.†   (source)
  • She'd given us free rein of the place after she'd shown us our rooms and stuff.†   (source)
  • Only with Sula did that quality have free rein, but their friendship was so close, they themselves had difficulty distinguishing one's thoughts from the other's.†   (source)
  • Some believe it's a carryover from the old days of the Kennedy heritage in Ireland, where the leader of a clan commonly had free rein to sleep with women outside of marriage.†   (source)
  • We rarely are allowed to give free rein to our competitive natures, though they live in us just as strongly as they do in men.†   (source)
  • As a member of the Red Branch, however, he had free rein of the Archives.†   (source)
  • We'll make sure everyone's out of your way. You'll be able to tackle the monster all by yourself. A free rein at last.   (source)
    free rein = the ability to act free of constraints
  • Let'em have free rein, they'd find him quick enough!†   (source)
  • The fairy tale gave the writer free rein to exploit his 'universe-creating imagination.'†   (source)
  • I've given you free rein, always.†   (source)
  • He still regretted teaching him so much, for Capricorn loved to give fire free rein, catching it again only when it had eaten its fill of crops and stables, houses and anything that couldn't run fast enough.†   (source)
  • Perhaps he was trying to give himself free rein, so that whatever happened in the end would come as a surprise to him too.†   (source)
  • Gunners aboard American helicopters have free rein to open fire on the peasants who turn and run when they see Hueys come sweeping in over the treetops.†   (source)
  • She had been advised that this would be her priority for the foreseeable future, and she had been given more or less free rein to shape her operational team and make the necessary decisions.†   (source)
  • I wanted to marry you and protect you and give you a free rein in anything that would make you happy—just as I did Bonnie.†   (source)
  • And with a sinking of her daring spirit she let the horses have free rein.†   (source)
  • Besides, her horse was mettlesome, thoroughly aroused, and he wanted a free rein and his own way.†   (source)
  • Just give your native harmlessness free rein—that will please him best.†   (source)
  • Meanwhile, furious at these goings on, Ned Land gave free rein to his indignation.†   (source)
  • He let Night have a free rein and felt him lengthen out to suit himself, knowing he would keep to Black Star's course, knowing that he had been chosen by the best rider now on the upland sage.†   (source)
  • But this much I'll tell you, Castorp, if you start making a scene, raise a hue and cry and give your civilian feelings free rein, I'll hand you your walking papers.†   (source)
  • …did enjoy sweet melodies from their balconies, and three or four of the chairs in the arcade were occupied; but the majority of the guests sat at little white tables placed out on the covered porch, although frivolous and fashionable society, for whom sitting on chairs was apparently too respectable, took up a position on the stone steps leading down to the garden and gave free rein to merriment—youthful patients of both sexes, most of whose faces or names Hans Castorp knew by now.†   (source)
  • So he kept his place, and gave the four free rein, and called to them in soothing voice, trying merely to guide them round the dangerous turn; and before the fever of the people began to abate, he had back the mastery.†   (source)
  • The scenes depicted on the emunctory field, showing our ancient duns and raths and cromlechs and grianauns and seats of learning and maledictive stones, are as wonderfully beautiful and the pigments as delicate as when the Sligo illuminators gave free rein to their artistic fantasy long long ago in the time of the Barmecides.†   (source)
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