beggar-thy-neighbor
adjective
beg·gar-thy-neigh·bor
ˈbe-gər-ˌṯẖī-ˈnā-bər 
: relating to or being an action or policy that produces gains for one group at the expense of another
followed beggar-thy-neighbor policies in imposing taxes
Examples of beggar-thy-neighbor in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
At the time that Keynes and Robinson were writing, the cost of beggar-thy-neighbor policies came mainly in the form of higher unemployment, as higher exports—unbalanced by higher imports—undermined manufacturers in trade deficit countries and forced them to lay off workers.
—
Michael Pettis, Foreign Affairs, 21 Apr. 2025
But beggar-thy-neighbor tariffs and a scrambled supply chain make no one wealthier.
—Matthew Continetti, National Review, 22 Feb. 2025
But there are long-term costs, and not simply in the risk of beggar-thy-neighbor trade policies of the kind that deepened the Great Depression.
—Bret Stephens, The Mercury News, 6 Feb. 2025
Yet the timing complicates any move by China to go the beggar-thy-neighbor route.
—William Pesek, Forbes, 8 Jan. 2025
In the past, Washington largely gave Tokyo a pass on its beggar-thy-neighbor policies.
—William Pesek, Forbes, 3 Jan. 2025
Along with worrying about inflation — which is well above the BOJ’s 2% target — Ishiba loathes the developing-nation vibe that accompanies Tokyo’s beggar-thy-neighbor policies.
—William Pesek, Forbes, 30 Sep. 2024
Nationalist policies that maximize one state’s interests at the expense of others—beggar-thy-neighbor policies—are a poor way to resolve global problems.
—William Nordhaus, Foreign Affairs, 12 Oct. 2021
Tax abatement programs have long been controversial, pitting states and communities against one another in beggar-thy-neighbor contests.
—Christine Wen, The Conversation, 15 Feb. 2024
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Michael Pettis, Foreign Affairs, 21 Apr. 2025
But beggar-thy-neighbor tariffs and a scrambled supply chain make no one wealthier.
—Matthew Continetti, National Review, 22 Feb. 2025
But there are long-term costs, and not simply in the risk of beggar-thy-neighbor trade policies of the kind that deepened the Great Depression.
—Bret Stephens, The Mercury News, 6 Feb. 2025
Yet the timing complicates any move by China to go the beggar-thy-neighbor route.
—William Pesek, Forbes, 8 Jan. 2025
In the past, Washington largely gave Tokyo a pass on its beggar-thy-neighbor policies.
—William Pesek, Forbes, 3 Jan. 2025
Along with worrying about inflation — which is well above the BOJ’s 2% target — Ishiba loathes the developing-nation vibe that accompanies Tokyo’s beggar-thy-neighbor policies.
—William Pesek, Forbes, 30 Sep. 2024
Nationalist policies that maximize one state’s interests at the expense of others—beggar-thy-neighbor policies—are a poor way to resolve global problems.
—William Nordhaus, Foreign Affairs, 12 Oct. 2021
Tax abatement programs have long been controversial, pitting states and communities against one another in beggar-thy-neighbor contests.
—Christine Wen, The Conversation, 15 Feb. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Beggar-thy-neighbor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beggar-thy-neighbor. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
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