hold something over someone('s head)

Language:

1. idiomto use information or a situation to threaten or control someone

Usage context

Is typically used in situations where someone has power or leverage over another person, often due to possessing sensitive information or having the ability to enforce a consequence. This idiom suggests that the person with the power is using it to manipulate or coerce the other person into doing something they might not want to do.

Examples

  1. She's been holding the secret over his head for months, using it to get him to do her bidding.

  2. The blackmailer had been holding the incriminating photos over the politician's head for years, forcing him to make key decisions in their favor.

  3. She felt like her boss was holding her mistake over her head, using it as an excuse to deny her a promotion.

  4. He had been holding the secret over his friend's head, using it to get him to lend him money whenever he needed it.

  5. The company had been holding the threat of layoffs over the employees' heads, using it to keep them from demanding better working conditions.

Synonyms