rein in — bring under control (figurative)
phrasal verbC1IELTS 7+neutraloccasional
To limit, control, or restrain someone's actions, emotions, or spending, especially when they are becoming excessive or out of control.
Say it like a native
Textbook The manager sought to curtail the team's excessive expenditure.
Native The manager had to rein in the spending.
'Rein in' is the natural verb for bringing something under control; 'curtail excessive expenditure' is formal.
Pattern: rein in + noun / rein in + someone's + behaviour/emotions/spending
In use
- The government is trying to rein in public spending to reduce the national debt.daily life
- In my opinion, parents should rein in their children's screen time to ensure they develop healthy habits.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ They need to reign in their costs.
✓ They need to rein in their costs.
It's 'rein in' (like a horse's reins), not 'reign' — a very common spelling error.
Common collocations
rein in + excess— spending, costs, your temper, the kids
Don't confuse it
Unlike the literal use of 'rein in' with horses, this sense is figurative and refers to controlling abstract things like behaviour, not physical objects.