beholden to

idiom

formal

: owing a favor or gift to (someone) : having obligations to (someone)

politicians who are beholden to special interest groups

She works for herself, and so is beholden to no one.

Examples of beholden to in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Other candidates, like Hillary Clinton in 2016, have been accused of being beholden to corporate interests because of these types of high-dollar speaking payments. —

Jessica Boehm, Axios, 1 Aug. 2024 While environmentalists see them as beholden to the corporations that support their campaigns, business leaders see moderate Democrats as a balancing force in a Capitol where one party has all the control. —

Laura Fitzgerald, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2024 In general, most shippers aren’t beholden to one carrier. —

Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 25 July 2024 Proponents say Senate confirmation would make directors more beholden to not just the White House but also Congress, which approves the Secret Service’s budget, which has swelled to more than $3 billion annually. —

Ramsey Touchberry, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 28 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for beholden to

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'beholden to.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.