From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishthe powers that bethe powers that bePOWERthe unknown people who have important positions of authority and power, and whose decisions affect your life The powers that be don’t want the media to get hold of the story. → power
Examples from the Corpus
the powers that be• The powers that be do not seem interested in solving the city's transportation problems.• The powers that be have decided that our lunch breaks should be reduced to 45 minutes.• Could the powers that be, or anyone else who knows, possibly get him on?• Perhaps it is time for the powers that be to look again at the slalom rules that allow dipping and sideways presentations.• Um, I still think that, that maybe the powers that be want it probably as a smoke screen.• Maybe the powers that be have been only interested in cleaning up opponents.• Inadvertently or not, the powers that be determined that so-so writers had only so-so intelligence.• They were keeping on the right side of the powers that be.• Why should the powers that be want to ruin that?• It's just that the powers that be treat us teachers like dirt. 