beggar-thy-neighbor

adjective

beg·​gar-thy-neigh·​bor ˈbe-gər-ˌṯẖī-ˈnā-bər 

: relating to or being an action or policy that produces gains for one group at the expense of another

followed beggar-thy-neighbor policies in imposing taxes

Examples of beggar-thy-neighbor in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Demanding reciprocity would counteract the beggar-thy-neighbor policies that have created unsustainable imbalances with U.S. trading partners, curtail Washington’s dependence on adversaries for critical goods, and limit the free-riding that has slowly eroded U.S. alliances and partnerships. —Oren Cass, Foreign Affairs, 17 Oct. 2025

Countries resorted to competitive devaluations, what historians labelled beggar-thy-neighbor policies. —Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025

But beggar-thy-neighbor tariffs and a scrambled supply chain make no one wealthier. —Matthew Continetti, National Review, 22 Feb. 2025

But there are long-term costs, and not simply in the risk of beggar-thy-neighbor trade policies of the kind that deepened the Great Depression. —Bret Stephens, The Mercury News, 6 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1945, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for beggar-thy-neighbor

• belabor
• nonlabor
• labor
• neighbor
• neighbour
• saber
• sabre
• tabor