have someone in the palm of one's hand

• hold someone in the palm of one's hand

have someone in the palm of one's hand (third-person singular simple present has someone in the palm of one's hand, present participle having someone in the palm of one's hand, simple past and past participle had someone in the palm of one's hand)

1. To have full control or influence over someone.
   • April 5 2022, Tina Brown, “How Princess Diana’s Dance With the Media Impacted William and Harry”, in Vanity Fair‎:

     Opinion polls in the wake of the interview showed support for the princess at 92 percent. She had the public in the palm of her hand.

     adapted from the book The Palace Papers, published 2022 by Penguin Books

• “have someone in the palm of one's hand”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
• “have (someone) in the palm of one's hand”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.
• “in the palm of your hand” in the Cambridge English Dictionary, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• “have someone in the palm of your hand” (US) / “have someone in the palm of your hand” (UK) in Macmillan English Dictionary.
• “in the palm of one's hand”, in Collins English Dictionary.