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
Our culture wants wrongdoers to suffer, even at the expense of public safety.
—
Anita Chabria, Los Angeles Times, 9 Nov. 2023
Company executives have argued that this was the moment — when Sanofi has a strong pipeline and isn’t facing patent expirations for years — to increase its R&D resources, even at the expense of short-term profits.
$30 for your first 3 months.
—Andrew Joseph, STAT, 8 Nov. 2023
But Fain has insisted all along that companies can’t get away with making these changes at the expense of the working class.
—Liza Featherstone, The New Republic, 3 Nov. 2023
Israel has launched what appears to be the first phase of a massive ground incursion into Gaza, vowing that Hamas must be eliminated or somehow rendered irrelevant, even at the expense of smashing Gaza to pieces.
—Hussein Ibish, The Atlantic, 1 Nov. 2023
Others are from people who did not attend but were no less appalled, and outraged, that such boorish behavior took place at the expense of so many.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Oct. 2023
Climate change appears to be aiding some of the ingredients for tornadoes at the expense of others.
—Carolyn Wilke, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Nov. 2023
This must be used as a turning point in the way the U.S. approaches Israel and the Palestinians, a radical departure from decades-long policy that has provided Israel unconditional support at the expense of Palestinian rights, freedom, and a just and lasting peace with security for all.
—Laila El-Haddad, The New Republic, 1 Nov. 2023
Just like Big Tobacco and vaping companies have done in years past, Meta chose to maximize its profits at the expense of public health, specifically harming the health of the youngest among us.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 24 Oct. 2023
See More
Anita Chabria, Los Angeles Times, 9 Nov. 2023
Company executives have argued that this was the moment — when Sanofi has a strong pipeline and isn’t facing patent expirations for years — to increase its R&D resources, even at the expense of short-term profits.
$30 for your first 3 months.
—Andrew Joseph, STAT, 8 Nov. 2023
But Fain has insisted all along that companies can’t get away with making these changes at the expense of the working class.
—Liza Featherstone, The New Republic, 3 Nov. 2023
Israel has launched what appears to be the first phase of a massive ground incursion into Gaza, vowing that Hamas must be eliminated or somehow rendered irrelevant, even at the expense of smashing Gaza to pieces.
—Hussein Ibish, The Atlantic, 1 Nov. 2023
Others are from people who did not attend but were no less appalled, and outraged, that such boorish behavior took place at the expense of so many.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Oct. 2023
Climate change appears to be aiding some of the ingredients for tornadoes at the expense of others.
—Carolyn Wilke, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Nov. 2023
This must be used as a turning point in the way the U.S. approaches Israel and the Palestinians, a radical departure from decades-long policy that has provided Israel unconditional support at the expense of Palestinian rights, freedom, and a just and lasting peace with security for all.
—Laila El-Haddad, The New Republic, 1 Nov. 2023
Just like Big Tobacco and vaping companies have done in years past, Meta chose to maximize its profits at the expense of public health, specifically harming the health of the youngest among us.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 24 Oct. 2023
See More
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 4 Dec. 2023.
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