great sway

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "great sway" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it to describe significant influence or control over a situation or group. For example, "The leader held great sway over the committee's decisions." Alternative expressions include "considerable influence" and "significant power."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Academia

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

As panel chairman, Mr. Roberts holds great sway.

The New York Times

Firms like Institutional Shareholder Services can hold great sway over public companies' investors.

The New York Times

The officials admit the difficulty of reforming a deeply corrupt state where oligarchs hold great sway.

The Economist

High status occupations hold great sway, so top graduates still aim towards medicine, accountancy or law.

Harvard Business Review

As the largest state in India, Uttar Pradesh has great sway over national politics.

The Washington Post

Mr. Herenton, 69, a former Golden Gloves boxer, holds great sway in Memphis.

The New York Times

As Lepore notes, her opinion held great sway over children's-book authors, and over the industry at large.

The New Yorker

Many branches of government have parallel figures, little-known civil servants whose knowledge and staying power lend them great sway.

The New York Times

As Brooklyn Democratic boss, he had great sway in picking candidates for judgeships and filling vacant political offices.

The New York Times

IG Metall holds such great sway that even an estimated three-quarters of the company's managers are members.

The Economist

The book shows that governments have great sway over both the extent and the form of economic integration.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "great sway" when describing abstract influence over people, policies, or markets. It is most effective when paired with dynamic verbs like "hold", "wield", "exercise", "exert" or "carry".

Common error

Avoid using "great sway" to describe physical movement, such as a tall building moving in the wind. In those cases, use specific physical descriptors like "significant lateral movement" or "oscillation" to avoid sounding like you are attributing political influence to a structure.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "great sway" functions as a noun phrase that typically acts as a direct object. In the linguistic data provided by Ludwig, it is almost always preceded by verbs that indicate possession or application of power, such as "hold", "have" or "wield".

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

82%

Formal & Business

10%

Academia

4%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

2%

Science

1%

Social Media

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "great sway" is a robust and reliable expression used to denote significant influence or control. According to Ludwig AI and the analyzed search data, it is a correct and highly versatile term most commonly found in elite news publications and business contexts. It describes the capacity of individuals, organizations, or even ideas to impact the direction of a situation. When writing, remember that it pairs naturally with verbs like "hold" and "wield". While it has many synonyms, such as "<a href="/s/considerable+influence" target="_blank" rel="alternative">considerable influence", it remains a preferred choice for writers seeking a more evocative and slightly more traditional tone in their analysis.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

considerable influence

More common in academic and neutral reporting contexts

significant power

Emphasizes the raw capability to enforce decisions

immense clout

More informal or political in its connotation

substantial leverage

Often used when influence is based on strategic advantage or bargaining chips

vast authority

Focuses more on official or institutional permission rather than informal persuasion

dominant impact

Focuses on the result of the influence rather than the influence itself

commanding presence

Suggests influence derived from personality or physical stature

major pull

A more colloquial way to describe social or professional gravity

wide reach

Focuses on the breadth of influence rather than the depth or intensity

strong foothold

Suggests influence based on a secure and established position

FAQs

How do I use "great sway" in a sentence?

You can use it to describe influence, such as: "The labor unions hold <a href="/s/great+sway" target="_blank" rel="alternative">great sway over the party's platform".

What can I say instead of "great sway"?

Depending on the context, you can use "<a href="/s/considerable+influence" target="_blank" rel="alternative">considerable influence", "<a href="/s/significant+power" target="_blank" rel="alternative">significant power" or "<a href="/s/immense+clout" target="_blank" rel="alternative">immense clout".

Is "great sway" formal enough for business writing?

Yes, it is a professional and sophisticated phrase frequently appearing in business journals like the <a href="/s/Harvard+Business+Review" target="_blank" rel="alternative">Harvard Business Review.

What is the difference between "great sway" and "major impact"?

While "<a href="/s/major+impact" target="_blank" rel="alternative">major impact" refers to the actual effect or change caused, "great sway" refers to the potential or capacity to cause that change.