at the expense of
idiom
: in a way that harms (something or someone)
Malls flourished at the expense of small stores downtown.
He argues that the tax cut will benefit the rich at the expense of the poor.
Examples of at the expense of in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
This focus on metrics can push creators away from authentic expression, a crucial attribute of folk art, and instead toward content optimized for algorithmic success, often at the expense of originality and sincerity.
—
Ruby Justice Thelot, ARTnews.com, 1 Nov. 2024
Too much nitrogen fertilizer encourages shoot and leaf development at the expense of flowering.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 31 Oct. 2024
In a city full of crime history lore, smaller stories can sometimes get lost among the bigger ones, and this typically happens at the expense of the victims and families affected by the crime.
—Jennifer Stavros, WIRED, 31 Oct. 2024
Castle takes ample advantage of the jokes that hang at the expense of tropes that have endured since Whale's send-up, and the ones that have emerged in the interim.
—Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 30 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for at the expense of 
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Ruby Justice Thelot, ARTnews.com, 1 Nov. 2024
Too much nitrogen fertilizer encourages shoot and leaf development at the expense of flowering.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 31 Oct. 2024
In a city full of crime history lore, smaller stories can sometimes get lost among the bigger ones, and this typically happens at the expense of the victims and families affected by the crime.
—Jennifer Stavros, WIRED, 31 Oct. 2024
Castle takes ample advantage of the jokes that hang at the expense of tropes that have endured since Whale's send-up, and the ones that have emerged in the interim.
—Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 30 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for at the expense of
Dictionary Entries Near at the expense of
Cite this Entry
“At the expense of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/at%20the%20expense%20of. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
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