double-edged sword

noun

: 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

And then there is the election that has turned some of Janey’s former allies into her competitors and the mayor’s office into a coveted but double-edged sword. —BostonGlobe.com, 26 Aug. 2021

But the bountiful precipitation has also been a double-edged sword, creating a political challenge for negotiators trying to agree on painful cuts, according to analysts following the talks. —Joshua Partlow, Anchorage Daily News, 1 Feb. 2023

As Damian explains, ambition can be a double-edged sword. —Gen Handley, SPIN, 27 Jan. 2023

This is essential for any organization, small or large, as experience can often be a double-edged sword. —Expert Panel®, Forbes, 27 Jan. 2023

This is a double-edged sword, however, as the large torrent of information and data can be hard to parse through. —Dallas News, 18 Jan. 2023

Skinamarink leaking online was a double-edged sword, according to Ball. —Megan McCluskey, Time, 13 Jan. 2023

This popularity, experts say, can be a double-edged sword. —Faith Karimi, CNN, 7 Jan. 2023

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Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above