under the sway of (someone)
idiom
: in or into a state of being controlled by (someone)
They are under the sway of terrorists.
He has come/fallen under the sway of terrorists.
Examples of under the sway of (someone) in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Salam also promised to strengthen the Lebanese Armed Forces, as a means to assert the state’s authority in a place that for years had been under the sway of Hezbollah.
—
Rania Abouzeid, New Yorker, 2 June 2025
Democracy, under the sway of lies, becomes a form of anarchy.
—Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 29 Apr. 2025
Sometimes international relations fell under the sway of a powerful hegemon—or of outright imperialism, where a single state, such as Rome, or an outside invader, such as the Ottoman empire, dominated its neighbors and provided them with security.
—Margaret MacMillan, The Atlantic, 30 Apr. 2025
The Republican Party, long the home of American conservatism, is now entirely under the sway of impatient reactionaries.
—Ian Millhiser, Vox, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for under the sway of (someone)
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.
Rania Abouzeid, New Yorker, 2 June 2025
Democracy, under the sway of lies, becomes a form of anarchy.
—Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 29 Apr. 2025
Sometimes international relations fell under the sway of a powerful hegemon—or of outright imperialism, where a single state, such as Rome, or an outside invader, such as the Ottoman empire, dominated its neighbors and provided them with security.
—Margaret MacMillan, The Atlantic, 30 Apr. 2025
The Republican Party, long the home of American conservatism, is now entirely under the sway of impatient reactionaries.
—Ian Millhiser, Vox, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for under the sway of (someone)
Cite this Entry
“Under the sway of (someone).” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/under%20the%20sway%20of%20%28someone%29. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share