Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

have someone by the balls

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.48 in modern English

Syllables: have -some-one by the balls
IPA

39

Scrabble Score

21

Letters

3

Syllables

12

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To exercise total control over someone; to be in a position to threaten or extort someone.

Slang

Example Sentences

"You think I wouldn't have him Unless I could have him by the balls You think I just dish it out You don't think I take it at all"
"I feared what was to come. I was knuckling under to my blackmailer. It was a sure sign of weakness. If he didn't already, he'd know he had me by the balls as soon as he saw me wearing the shirt."
"Angel Batista immediately makes the connection that Quinn has been banging Nadia, a stripper working for Isaac’s people. Quinn adamantly denies that he would steal evidence and then storms into the strip club to demand that Nadia be set free. Unfortunately, they have him by the balls because they could kill Nadia at any moment and destroy Quinn’s police career once and for all if they revealed his tampering with evidence."

Usage

Slang

Inflected Forms

has someone by the balls (present, singular) having someone by the balls (participle, present) had someone by the balls (participle, past) had someone by the balls (past)

Synonyms

have someone by the short hairs § Synonyms

Questions

What does have someone by the balls mean?: To exercise total control over someone; to be in a position to threaten or extort someone.

How to pronounce have someone by the balls

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