pull the strings

pull the strings

to be in control of an organization, often secretly. I'd really like to know who's pulling the strings in that organization, because it's not the elected committee.

See also: pull, string

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pull the strings

to control the actions of a person or group, often secretly. I'd like to know who's pulling the strings in that organization, because it's not the elected committee. He wanted to make his own decision, with no one pulling his strings.

Etymology: based on a comparison with the movements of a marionette (= a small model of a person or animal moved by strings by attached to its body)

See also: pull, string