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
But this additional money is meant to keep up appearances until November at the expense of Americans who are forced to pay for it and Ukrainians who are forced to die for it.
—
Ron Paul, Orange County Register, 23 Apr. 2024
Shareholders have pushed back, saying the transaction would primarily benefit Redstone at the expense of regular investors.
—Stacy Perman, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2024
As the basic outline of the Skydance transaction has emerged, some shareholders have been quick to voice concerns that controlling shareholder Shari Redstone will be enriched in the deal at the expense of others.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 19 Apr. 2024
Claims that digital trade rules would unfairly benefit large American technology companies at the expense of smaller ones simply defy reality.
—Ed Brzytwa, Fortune, 15 Apr. 2024
All Sheryl Crow wants to do is have some fun, but not at the expense of her teenage sons!
—Brenton Blanchet, Peoplemag, 29 Mar. 2024
Over the past decade, auditoriums, toilets, and parking areas have been built in and around the temple, often at the expense of a stray tree or shrub, to maximize accessibility and ensure devotees’ comfort.
—Pragathi Ravi, The Christian Science Monitor, 27 Mar. 2024
The plan — intended to boost bike safety at the expense of vehicle lanes and parking — was estimated to cost $7.7 million, would have eliminated more than 300 parking spaces and cut lane capacity for vehicles in half.
—Justin Wm. Moyer, Washington Post, 12 Apr. 2024
The savvy siblings must band together not only to dispose of the body (in a sequence with a solid self-aware joke at the expense of the 1991 film), but also to survive without cash or a guardian — and without disrupting their mother’s sanity.
—Courtney Howard, Variety, 9 Apr. 2024
Ron Paul, Orange County Register, 23 Apr. 2024
Shareholders have pushed back, saying the transaction would primarily benefit Redstone at the expense of regular investors.
—Stacy Perman, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2024
As the basic outline of the Skydance transaction has emerged, some shareholders have been quick to voice concerns that controlling shareholder Shari Redstone will be enriched in the deal at the expense of others.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 19 Apr. 2024
Claims that digital trade rules would unfairly benefit large American technology companies at the expense of smaller ones simply defy reality.
—Ed Brzytwa, Fortune, 15 Apr. 2024
All Sheryl Crow wants to do is have some fun, but not at the expense of her teenage sons!
—Brenton Blanchet, Peoplemag, 29 Mar. 2024
Over the past decade, auditoriums, toilets, and parking areas have been built in and around the temple, often at the expense of a stray tree or shrub, to maximize accessibility and ensure devotees’ comfort.
—Pragathi Ravi, The Christian Science Monitor, 27 Mar. 2024
The plan — intended to boost bike safety at the expense of vehicle lanes and parking — was estimated to cost $7.7 million, would have eliminated more than 300 parking spaces and cut lane capacity for vehicles in half.
—Justin Wm. Moyer, Washington Post, 12 Apr. 2024
The savvy siblings must band together not only to dispose of the body (in a sequence with a solid self-aware joke at the expense of the 1991 film), but also to survive without cash or a guardian — and without disrupting their mother’s sanity.
—Courtney Howard, Variety, 9 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'at the expense of.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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 28 Apr. 2024.
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