string
noun [ C ]
uk/strɪŋ/ uspull strings
(also US pull wires)
to use your power or influence to get what you want:
She became a journalist for one of the UK's top newspapers after her father pulled strings.
pull the strings
the person who pulls the strings in a particular organization, situation, etc. makes the important decisions about it and controls it:
Shareholders are concerned because they no longer really know who is pulling the strings at the bank.