English rendering Hold someone's life in one's hands Literal translation: “Grasp the lifeline”
Have the power to decide the fate of someone's life as one pleases.
Dictionary example 1
나를 잡아 온 산적 두목이 나의 명줄을 쥐고 있다.
Dictionary example 2
인사부장이 나의 명줄을 쥐고 있다.
Read the meanings, trace, then cover above the masking line and write. Uncover, choose a meaning, and make your own sentence.
Writing text명줄을 쥐다
Explore the body parts or scenes linked to this idiom.
A silent film that writes the headword and its meaning.
pass away To stop breathing and die. 
Shared · 2 Take a life Kill oneself or another person 
Seek a way to survive Try to find a way to live when close to death 
Dedicate one's life Work for something with one's life at stake. 
2 meanings Take one's own life; work regardless of death Take one's own life. 
lose one’s life A euphemistic expression for to die. 
Hover between life and death Be at an extremely dangerous juncture 
Have no time to catch one’s breath Have no leisure even to calm one’s labored breathing 
without time to catch one’s breath Without enough respite even to calm one’s panting. 
Shared · 6 Without a moment’s respite Extremely busily, without even time for a short rest Browse in Hangul order.
WORDROW Korean Idioms 