noun
1 ( often reins ) for controlling a horse
VERB + REIN
▪ hold
▪
Can you hold the ~s for a minute?
▪ gather , gather up , pick up
▪
Sean gathered up the horse's ~s.
▪ grab , grab at , grip
▪ pull on , tug , tug at , tug on
▪
She pulled sharply on the ~s.
▪ give sb , hand sb , let go of
▪ loosen , tighten
PREPOSITION
▪ on a ~
▪
She had the horse on a long ~.
PHRASES
▪ give free ~ to sth , give full ~ to sth (= give sb freedom of action)
▪
The designer was given free ~.
▪
When I paint I just give my imagination free ~.
2 the reins being in control/the leader of sth
VERB + THE REINS
▪ hold
▪
It's the accountants who effectively hold the ~s.
▪ grasp , seize , take up
▪
The vice-president was forced to take up the ~s of office.
▪ hand over
▪ loosen , tighten
▪
Parents need to loosen the ~s as the child grows.
PHRASES
▪ the ~s of government , the ~s of office , the ~s of power
▪
He seized the ~s of power.