to the mercy of
idiom
: without any protection from (someone or something one cannot control)
He had to leave his boat to the mercy of the storm.
Examples of to the mercy of in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The men were left to the mercy of the high surf that morning, historian Paul Burnett recounted to a crowd gathered on the bluffs in Corona del Mar on a recent day.
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Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 22 Sep. 2025
Once blossoms gave way to fruits, the apples’ fate was left to the mercy of summer weather.
—Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 29 Aug. 2025
These corpses have been strategically laid out in rows, naked as the day they were born, and left to the mercy of the elements until all that’s left of them are bones.
—Jess Thomson, Wired News, 27 Aug. 2025
Not everyone had access to reading and writing in ancient Mesopotamia, so their thoughts and experiences were left to the mercy of scribes.
—Discover Magazine, 4 Dec. 2024
After District Court Judge Andrew Hanen ruled DACA unlawful in 2022, the future of the program has been left to the mercy of Hanen, the Biden administration and the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
—Erick Trevino, The Arizona Republic, 14 June 2024
Whether the Sawtooths and surrounding wilderness should be turned into a national recreation area or national park, or left to the mercy of big corporations who’d take advantage of the region’s natural resources.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 31 Jan. 2024
You’re left to the mercy of phone calls and secondhand news.
—Alex Convery, Los Angeles Times, 28 Nov. 2023
But Brian cannot drive yet, leaving our Prius to the mercy of the Department of Parking and Traffic.
—Kevin Fisher-Paulson, San Francisco Chronicle, 27 July 2021
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Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 22 Sep. 2025
Once blossoms gave way to fruits, the apples’ fate was left to the mercy of summer weather.
—Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 29 Aug. 2025
These corpses have been strategically laid out in rows, naked as the day they were born, and left to the mercy of the elements until all that’s left of them are bones.
—Jess Thomson, Wired News, 27 Aug. 2025
Not everyone had access to reading and writing in ancient Mesopotamia, so their thoughts and experiences were left to the mercy of scribes.
—Discover Magazine, 4 Dec. 2024
After District Court Judge Andrew Hanen ruled DACA unlawful in 2022, the future of the program has been left to the mercy of Hanen, the Biden administration and the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
—Erick Trevino, The Arizona Republic, 14 June 2024
Whether the Sawtooths and surrounding wilderness should be turned into a national recreation area or national park, or left to the mercy of big corporations who’d take advantage of the region’s natural resources.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 31 Jan. 2024
You’re left to the mercy of phone calls and secondhand news.
—Alex Convery, Los Angeles Times, 28 Nov. 2023
But Brian cannot drive yet, leaving our Prius to the mercy of the Department of Parking and Traffic.
—Kevin Fisher-Paulson, San Francisco Chronicle, 27 July 2021
Cite this Entry
“To the mercy of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/to%20the%20mercy%20of. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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