err on the side of
idiom
: to use or show more of (something) than may be needed so that one can be sure that he or she is using or showing enough of it
It's better to err on the side of generosity than to appear too stingy.
We chose to err on the side of caution when planning our investments.
Examples of err on the side of in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Some people may never feel the effects, but flight attendants who’ve seen the tanks up close tend to err on the side of caution.
—
Alesandra Dubin, Southern Living, 1 July 2025
Climate comparison Given how momentous the conclusive discovery of extraterrestrial life would be, these assumptions mean that many scientists err on the side of caution.
—Oliver Swainston, Space.com, 28 June 2025
And there’s a reason (most) franchises err on the side of caution any time their players are diagnosed with those.
—Shane Young, Forbes.com, 19 June 2025
There is a mechanism to ensure that borderline plays are assessed — referees can err on the side of caution and call a major penalty in the moment to review the play.
—Shayna Goldman, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for err on the side of
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Alesandra Dubin, Southern Living, 1 July 2025
Climate comparison Given how momentous the conclusive discovery of extraterrestrial life would be, these assumptions mean that many scientists err on the side of caution.
—Oliver Swainston, Space.com, 28 June 2025
And there’s a reason (most) franchises err on the side of caution any time their players are diagnosed with those.
—Shane Young, Forbes.com, 19 June 2025
There is a mechanism to ensure that borderline plays are assessed — referees can err on the side of caution and call a major penalty in the moment to review the play.
—Shayna Goldman, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for err on the side of
Cite this Entry
“Err on the side of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/err%20on%20the%20side%20of. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025.
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