beholden to

phrase

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
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.
Where the largest earners can afford to spend heavily year-on-year, the rest are beholden to peaks and troughs. — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 12 Aug. 2026 Hyde-Smith, in turn, frames Colom as beholden to extremes beyond Mississippi. — ABC News, 7 Aug. 2026 Others were less sympathetic, balking at Crespi’s counter-offer and stating that Crespi’s employment must be discussed publicly because the DDA is a public agency beholden to the state’s Sunshine Law. — Tess Riski august 5, Miami Herald, 5 Aug. 2026 Ordinary concerns like money do intrude on occasion, pitting working-class locals against wealthy tourists, but not to the point that the gang is beholden to anything so mundane as a set work schedule. — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 4 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for beholden to

Rhymes for beholden to

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Browse Nearby Words

beholden
beholden to
beholder
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Cite this Entry

“Beholden to.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beholden%20to. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.

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