at the expense of

idiom

: in a way that harms (something or someone)

Malls flourished at the expense of small stores downtown.

He argues that the tax cut will benefit the rich at the expense of the poor.

Examples of at the expense of in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The plan — intended to boost bike safety at the expense of vehicle lanes and parking — was estimated to cost $7.7 million, would have eliminated more than 300 parking spaces and cut lane capacity for vehicles in half. —Justin Wm. Moyer, Washington Post, 12 Apr. 2024

The savvy siblings must band together not only to dispose of the body (in a sequence with a solid self-aware joke at the expense of the 1991 film), but also to survive without cash or a guardian — and without disrupting their mother’s sanity. —Courtney Howard, Variety, 9 Apr. 2024

Russian migration experts say the concert hall attack is likely to further shift the country’s migration debate toward national security priorities, at the expense of the economy. —Valerie Hopkins, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2024

Through the years, King watched other politicians characterize themselves as trailblazers, arguably at the expense of Chisholm’s legacy. —Tyler Foggatt, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024

King plays Chisholm as a woman driven by her ideals — sometimes at the expense of her personal relationships, including with her sister (Reina King) and her husband (played by Michael Cherrie) — and willing to make connections across divides to get things done. —Chris Foran, Journal Sentinel, 20 Mar. 2024

In a hilarious new ad for the brand, bar-goers didn't recognize the pro athlete David Beckham is partnering with Stella Artois — at the expense of his ego! —Antonia Debianchi, Peoplemag, 12 Mar. 2024

But by outsourcing pricing decisions to RealPage, which used an algorithm to tell the companies how much to charge, the companies stood to profit off big rental increases at the expense of tenants, the lawsuit alleges. —Catherine Reagor, The Arizona Republic, 11 Mar. 2024

Some countries are arguing that law lies too far in the bears’ favor at the expense of human lives. —Billy Stockwell, CNN, 30 Mar. 2024