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
Avoid over feeding plants, which encourages foliage to grow at the expense of blooms.
—
Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 3 Oct. 2025
Rabat has prioritized readying the country to host matches for the 2030 Men’s soccer World Cup at the expense of greater investment in social services, demonstrators say.
—Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 3 Oct. 2025
Hugo Ekitike, Jeremie Frimpong, Cody Gakpo, and Curtis Jones were recalled at the expense of Alexander Isak, Conor Bradley, Alexis Mac Allister and Mohamed Salah.
—James Pearce, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
Ne-Yo is a man of the people, but not at the expense of common courtesy and respect.
—Armon Sadler, VIBE.com, 29 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for at the expense of
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Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 3 Oct. 2025
Rabat has prioritized readying the country to host matches for the 2030 Men’s soccer World Cup at the expense of greater investment in social services, demonstrators say.
—Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 3 Oct. 2025
Hugo Ekitike, Jeremie Frimpong, Cody Gakpo, and Curtis Jones were recalled at the expense of Alexander Isak, Conor Bradley, Alexis Mac Allister and Mohamed Salah.
—James Pearce, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
Ne-Yo is a man of the people, but not at the expense of common courtesy and respect.
—Armon Sadler, VIBE.com, 29 Sep. 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 8 Oct. 2025.
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