receiving end

noun

: the position of being a recipient or especially a victim
usually used in the phrase on the receiving end

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web More recently, a long list of lawyers who have represented Mr. Trump have found themselves on the receiving end of ethics complaints and disciplinary action. Luke Broadwater, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2022 Very few people ever find themselves on the receiving end of an FBI search warrant—even fewer end up escaping criminal charges. Garrett M. Graff, Wired, 9 Aug. 2022 Being at the receiving end of Russian imperialism, many Eastern Europeans looked forward to membership in NATO as a means of securing their sovereignty. Jan Smoleński, The New Republic, 4 Mar. 2022 The transmitting end provides one or several different wavelengths of invisible light, and the receiving end detects the change of the invisible light reflected by the eyeball, and judges the eyeball movement based on the change. Chris Smith, BGR, 19 Mar. 2021 Visitation for patients receiving end-of-life care is at the discretion of the physician. Alex Golden, Arkansas Online, 13 Oct. 2020 The production is dark and futuristic, slinking along at an ominous crawl as Rihanna brushes off a lover with an attitude that would destroy most men on the receiving end. Ed Masley, USA TODAY, 11 Feb. 2023 If your loved one was the person on the receiving end? Michael Brice-saddler, Washington Post, 4 Feb. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'receiving end.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1937, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of receiving end was in 1937

Dictionary Entries Near receiving end

Cite this Entry

“Receiving end.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/receiving%20end. Accessed 4 Jun. 2023.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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