pull the strings

Fetched 2026-11-02 (live).

Synonyms: pulls the strings, pull the string, pulled the strings

Antonyms: pulls the strings, pull the string, pulled the strings

Related words from Datamuse; suggestions, not definitions.

Verb

1. To exercise informal influence through personal connections with individuals in positions of authority or influence in order to secure a desired outcome.
   • He has the job not because of talent, but because his dad pulled strings with the boss.
2. To control a person, organization, or situation by operating behind the scenes, as a puppeteer controls a marionette.
   • We know who pulls the strings around here.

Source: Wiktionary · CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wiktionary) · cached copy, not a rewrite.