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Glite Dictionary
to have someone's way

to have someone's way

7.7
To get what you want even when other people disagree
  • phrasal verb
translation icon : salirse con la suya
  • If Father had had his way, the empire would have been torn apart.

Examples

  • I knew that director would have his way, and he wanted you.

    Melinda and Melinda (2004)

  • I suppose if you had your way, you'd join up with Wilcox and that bunch he's organizing.

    Deadly Harvest (1977)

  • Not if their mother has her way.

    Pam Roark: Iraq War Nurse (2020)

  • - And I will have my way.

    EverAfter (1998)

  • If I had my way, the whole lot would be sacked.

    Howards End (1992)

  • Despite the protests, she managed to have her way and choose the destination for the vacation.

  • He always finds a way to have his way, no matter how much others disagree with him.

  • If the team members had their way, they would have their way and work from home every day.

Synonyms

to have it your way
vsto have someone's way
  • Informal
16 4.2

Allow someone to do or choose what they want

focuses on winning against opposition rather than mere preference
to have one's way with
vsto have someone's way
  • Informal
4 8.1

To use skill to control people or things to get what you want

describes getting wants without implying control or manipulation
to get what you asked for
vsto have someone's way
2 5.3

End up with what you wanted, often in a way you do not like

refers to deliberately achieving what one wants, not unintended consequences
to get one's way
vsto have someone's way
  • Informal
4.3

Have what you want even when others try to stop you

is the same idea but as the key expression

Antonyms

to deny
423 1.6

To refuse to let someone have something

thwarted
6.3

Unable to do what you wanted because something stopped you

How Successful

to run the show
  • Informal
58 4.1
to have someone's way
7.7

Surface Forms

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

Morphology

have + someone's + way

The phrase is partly compositional: 'have' (to possess) + 'someone's' + 'way' (manner/method) can lead a learner to infer 'to possess one's preferred manner or choice' and thus 'to get what one wants'. However, the conventionalized sense—especially the nuance of doing so despite opposition and the fixed collocation 'have one's way'—is idiomatic enough that the full meaning may not be fully predictable without exposure.

Etymology

Have someone's way comes from the simple image of choosing the path for a group: if you pick the way or road, you decide where everyone goes. So, if you 'have your way', you get your choice and it means 'to get or do what one wants'.