bring to heel
Make someone obey
To bring someone or something to heel is to force them into submission or obedience, like a dog trained to walk closely behind its master.
The phrase implies compelling compliance from someone who has been defiant or unruly: The new manager quickly brought the uncooperative staff to heel.
It suggests dominance achieved through pressure rather than persuasion.
Control through superior strength
- subjugateBring under dominion
- suppressForcibly put an end to
- overpowerDefeat by superior force
- tameMade gentle, manageable
crush · conquer · quell · break · coerce · force · restrain · pacify
Compliance with authority
- complianceAdhering to requirements
- submissionYielding to another's will
- conformityAdherence to norms
- trainingDeveloping abilities through practice
correction · authority · enforcement · control · command · strictness · regulation · order
dominate
Control through superior strength
tame · crush · conquer · quell · break · coerce · force · restrain · pacify · vanquish
obedience
Compliance with authority
- complianceAdhering to requirements
- submissionYielding to another's will
- conformityAdherence to norms
training · correction · authority · enforcement · control · command · strictness · regulation · order · supervision
bring to heelrebellious
Resisting authority or control
unruly · insubordinate · defiant · ungovernable · disobedient
bring, brings, brought, bringing, heel, heels, heeled, heeling