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
The federal government is unrecognizable, protecting the powerful, at the expense of the vulnerable.
—
Sacramento Bee Staff, Sacbee.com, 8 Jan. 2026
The Bulldogs landed Canion at the expense of rival Georgia Tech, where Canion spent the past two seasons.
—Connor Riley, AJC.com, 8 Jan. 2026
The recommendations follow a Connecticut Mirror and ProPublica investigation that exposed how state law for decades favored towing companies at the expense of low-income consumers.
—Dave Altimari, ProPublica, 7 Jan. 2026
The last time the Patriots won a home playoff game came in the 2018 postseason at the expense of the Chargers.
—Greg Dudek, Boston Herald, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for at the expense of
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Sacramento Bee Staff, Sacbee.com, 8 Jan. 2026
The Bulldogs landed Canion at the expense of rival Georgia Tech, where Canion spent the past two seasons.
—Connor Riley, AJC.com, 8 Jan. 2026
The recommendations follow a Connecticut Mirror and ProPublica investigation that exposed how state law for decades favored towing companies at the expense of low-income consumers.
—Dave Altimari, ProPublica, 7 Jan. 2026
The last time the Patriots won a home playoff game came in the 2018 postseason at the expense of the Chargers.
—Greg Dudek, Boston Herald, 6 Jan. 2026
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 Jan. 2026.
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