bend to someone's will

Definitions

To yield to persuasion or other pressure originating from someone.

idiomatic, intransitive

Examples

“Bangs beset her at every turn⟳, meeting her in her walks and rides, coming on her when she was in the field, and could not escape⟳ from him, and urging his suit⟳ with persuasions, promises, and threats, determined to win⟳ her, in spite of the most firm and decided rejection repeated again and again.[…] Bangs waxed more and more wroth at her steadfast refusal to bend⟳ to his will.”

“[…] this slavedriver, who spends his life making thousands of rough violent workmen bend⟳ to his will and sweat⟳ for him.”

“Other branches of government often bent to his will.”

CEFR level