at the whim of (someone)
idiom
: when (someone) wishes, desires, or decides something often in a sudden way
The shop is only open at the whim of the owner.
Examples of at the whim of (someone) in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The system was already in place whereby the income of many workers was at the whim of the customers.
—
Jacobina Martin, Washington Post, 15 Apr. 2024
Just as cruise itineraries can sometimes be subject to last-minute changes, safaris are at the whim of wild animals.
—Zach Wichter, USA TODAY, 24 Mar. 2024
Someone who only has a single load to wash is at the whim of another person using all the machines.
—Jacobina Martin, Washington Post, 13 Mar. 2024
Someone who has only a single load to wash is at the whim of another person using all the machines.
—Judith Martin, The Mercury News, 13 Mar. 2024
Those who make money off social media are also at the whim of big platforms and their constantly changing algorithms, forcing them to adapt to what’s popular at the time.
—Rachyl Jones, Fortune, 28 Feb. 2024
Furthermore, gas prices at large are at the whim of an international market that can be disrupted due to economic and geopolitical reasons.
—Nancy Vu, Washington Examiner, 8 Jan. 2024
That the fate of electric vehicles, self-driving cars, public infrastructure projects, global space exploration, the rules of online discourse, and the life and death of military combatants can be altered at the whim of a notoriously whimsical man?
—Will Oremus, Washington Post, 10 Sep. 2023
More than two years after the communist regime pioneered the practice of shutting down entire cities and sadly exported it to the world, the Chinese people are still subject to such measures at the whim of the government.
—James Freeman, WSJ, 27 Apr. 2022
Jacobina Martin, Washington Post, 15 Apr. 2024
Just as cruise itineraries can sometimes be subject to last-minute changes, safaris are at the whim of wild animals.
—Zach Wichter, USA TODAY, 24 Mar. 2024
Someone who only has a single load to wash is at the whim of another person using all the machines.
—Jacobina Martin, Washington Post, 13 Mar. 2024
Someone who has only a single load to wash is at the whim of another person using all the machines.
—Judith Martin, The Mercury News, 13 Mar. 2024
Those who make money off social media are also at the whim of big platforms and their constantly changing algorithms, forcing them to adapt to what’s popular at the time.
—Rachyl Jones, Fortune, 28 Feb. 2024
Furthermore, gas prices at large are at the whim of an international market that can be disrupted due to economic and geopolitical reasons.
—Nancy Vu, Washington Examiner, 8 Jan. 2024
That the fate of electric vehicles, self-driving cars, public infrastructure projects, global space exploration, the rules of online discourse, and the life and death of military combatants can be altered at the whim of a notoriously whimsical man?
—Will Oremus, Washington Post, 10 Sep. 2023
More than two years after the communist regime pioneered the practice of shutting down entire cities and sadly exported it to the world, the Chinese people are still subject to such measures at the whim of the government.
—James Freeman, WSJ, 27 Apr. 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'at the whim of (someone).' 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 whim of (someone)
Cite this Entry
“At the whim of (someone).” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/at%20the%20whim%20of%20%28someone%29. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
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