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
Held’s cooking honors heritage without being beholden to it.
—
Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 24 May 2025
The Department of Homeland Security is still beholden to the agreement, including Customs and Border Protection, which detains and processes children after their arrival in the U.S. with or without their parents.
—Valerie Gonzalez, Chicago Tribune, 22 May 2025
President Trump’s Justice Department pressured the office earlier this year to drop Adams’ corruption indictment in a manner that has led many to believe the mayor is compromised and beholden to Trump’s agenda.
—Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 14 Apr. 2025
TikTok is supposed to be taken down until ByteDance sells the app to a buyer that is not beholden to Beijing.
—The Editors, National Review, 5 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for beholden to
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Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 24 May 2025
The Department of Homeland Security is still beholden to the agreement, including Customs and Border Protection, which detains and processes children after their arrival in the U.S. with or without their parents.
—Valerie Gonzalez, Chicago Tribune, 22 May 2025
President Trump’s Justice Department pressured the office earlier this year to drop Adams’ corruption indictment in a manner that has led many to believe the mayor is compromised and beholden to Trump’s agenda.
—Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 14 Apr. 2025
TikTok is supposed to be taken down until ByteDance sells the app to a buyer that is not beholden to Beijing.
—The Editors, National Review, 5 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for beholden to
Cite this Entry
“Beholden to.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beholden%20to. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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