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
Other Canadians are headed to Europe in greater numbers than before, at the expense of their North American neighbor.
—
The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 6 Apr. 2025
Idaho Power argued that previous pricing overcompensated customers with solar at the expense of those without.
—Angela Palermo, Idaho Statesman, 6 Apr. 2025
While rear passenger space is great, this hasn’t been achieved at the expense of rear cargo space.
—James Morris, Forbes.com, 5 Apr. 2025
Buried in his blizzard of executive orders are yet more power grabs at the expense of Congress.
—David M. Drucker, Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for at the expense of
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 6 Apr. 2025
Idaho Power argued that previous pricing overcompensated customers with solar at the expense of those without.
—Angela Palermo, Idaho Statesman, 6 Apr. 2025
While rear passenger space is great, this hasn’t been achieved at the expense of rear cargo space.
—James Morris, Forbes.com, 5 Apr. 2025
Buried in his blizzard of executive orders are yet more power grabs at the expense of Congress.
—David M. Drucker, Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for 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 11 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share