at the mercy of

phrase

: wholly in the power of : with no way to protect oneself against

We were at the mercy of the weather.

Examples of at the mercy of in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

DiNubile believes Clark is completely at the mercy of the rest of the league. — Jackson Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 2 July 2026

The short-term rental market has always been at the mercy of seasonality, late payments and economic shifts. — Vered Schwarz, Forbes.com, 24 Feb. 2026

This could leave hundreds of thousands of students who borrow money for graduate school each year at the mercy of private lenders with higher interest rates and fewer repayment options. — Lauren Sausser, CBS News, 30 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1594, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for at the mercy of

• above
• foxglove
• hereof
• thereof
• whereof
• dove
• glove
• love
• shove
• hereinabove