double-edged sword

noun

Definition of double-edged sword

: something that has or can have both favorable and unfavorable consequences This much freedom of expression and opinion can be a double-edged sword.— Linda Connors

Examples of double-edged sword in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Turn up the volume This is one of those double-edged sword problems. — Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY, "6 ways to keep Alexa from eavesdropping on you," 25 May 2018 Dating is complicated for any generation, but millennials must contend with the double-edged sword of technology. — Adam Lukach, RedEye Chicago, "Living Single: RedEye reporters try speed dating in Chicago," 8 Feb. 2018 Brand executives privately say Amazon’s push for profitability can be a double-edged sword. — Annie Gasparro, WSJ, "Amazon Targets Unprofitable Items, With a Sharper Focus on the Bottom Line," 16 Dec. 2018 The internet offers freedom, but remember that freedom is a double-edged sword. — David Roberts, Vox, "My advice for aspiring explainer journalists," 9 Dec. 2018 Working from home—or more specifically, working from home in bed—is a double-edged sword. — Liz Stinson, Curbed, "At last, a furniture collection designed to mimic working from bed," 5 Dec. 2018 Polling suggests the Trump rallies and election talk are a double-edged sword. — Kimberley A. Strassel, WSJ, "How Republicans Could Still Win," 13 Sep. 2018 But of course the double-edged sword there, by virtue of doing that, he ultimately looks extremely put together. — Kenzie Bryant, Vanities, "Pete Davidson and the Rise of the Scumbro," 29 June 2018 That makes his reliance on them something of a double-edged sword: taking credit for the positive results means taking responsibility for the negative ones as well. — Matt Ford, The New Republic, "The Immigration Forces Beyond Trump’s Control," 8 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'double-edged sword.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.