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Glite Dictionary
to have one's way with

to have one's way with

4 8.1
To use skill to control people or things to get what you want
  • phrasal verb
  • Informal
translation icon : salirse con la suya
  • No doubt about it, I was going to have my way with him.
  • then had his way with
  • tried to have his way with
  • going to have my way with

Examples

  • She knew how to have her way with the negotiations to benefit her team.

  • I bet you have your way with lots of girls.

    Wild Bill (1995)

  • Are you afraid of what your wife might think if you have your way with me?

    Redeeming Love (2022)

  • Kelly after finals are over we can go back to that cute little motel by the beach and you can have your way with me.

    Bad Girls (2021)

  • Tell any actress who would be perfect for the role of Miss Julie, - and you could have your way with her.

    To Rome with Love (2012)

  • Bulldogs freshman forward Tim Williams had his way with the Tigers' interior.

    Blog text (3)

  • I originally learned this art from watching my fun-loving, flirtatious mother, but since I began Mastery, I am actually tapping into and feeling that raw power—the power of my joy. I feel so much more free to flirt and to have my way with the world.

    Blog text (13)

  • He always manages to have his way with the children when they want to avoid chores.

  • If you let her, she will have her way with the plans for the project without considering your ideas.

Synonyms

to manipulate
vsto have one's way with
382 6.1

To control people or things in a clever, often dishonest way

uses skill and influence without implying dishonesty
to have it your way
vsto have one's way with
  • Informal
16 4.2

Allow someone to do or choose what they want

secures outcomes by skillful influence, not by mere compromise
to turn the scale in one's favor
vsto have one's way with
7.9

Make a situation end the way you want

focuses on skillfully controlling people or situations rather than only outcomes
to get one's way
vsto have one's way with
  • Informal
4.3

Have what you want even when others try to stop you

relies on skillful influence and control to achieve aims
to have someone's way
vsto have one's way with
7.7

To get what you want even when other people disagree

relies on skillful influence rather than simply insisting

How Influential

to control
∞ 2.4
to have one's way with
  • Informal
4 8.1
influence
806 2.3
to persuade
472 2.7
to suggest
∞ 1.6

Surface Forms

have one's way with infinitive
had one's way with past
had one's way with past participle
having one's way with present participle
has one's way with third person singular

Morphology

have + one + way + with

The components 'have' and 'way' give a partial clue—B1 learners may infer something like 'to get one's own method or result'—but the idiomatic sense of exerting control or manipulating someone/something is not directly compositional from 'have' + 'one's' + 'way' + 'with'. The construction is therefore partly transparent (some sense of possession or manner is visible) but the specific pragmatic meaning requires prior exposure.

Etymology

The phrase have one's way with, with parts have, one's way, and with, paints a picture of someone holding the control and doing what they please with a person or thing. So, it means 'to control or use someone or something to get what you want'.