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
Until crude vulgarians like Miller came along, no prominent American political figure would claim on our behalf a right to use our power for purely selfish ends, at the expense of other democratic states and foreign peoples.
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Bradley Gitz, Arkansas Online, 9 Feb. 2026
But doubts surrounding Dana, Tod, Lynn, and Naveen aren’t serious (even Lynn’s ignominious introduction gets swept under the rug), and what little there is to find out is held back at the expense of the ensemble.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 8 Feb. 2026
In a wider historic context, subsidizing buses at the expense of trains looms as just the latest chapter in handicapping rail in favor of rubber tires on streets.
—Jonathan Cohn, New York Daily News, 7 Feb. 2026
Social media giants Meta, YouTube, TikTok and Snapchat are accused of intentionally designing features, like infinite scrolling, at the expense of the mental health of youth.
—Julie Sharp, CBS News, 5 Feb. 2026
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Bradley Gitz, Arkansas Online, 9 Feb. 2026
But doubts surrounding Dana, Tod, Lynn, and Naveen aren’t serious (even Lynn’s ignominious introduction gets swept under the rug), and what little there is to find out is held back at the expense of the ensemble.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 8 Feb. 2026
In a wider historic context, subsidizing buses at the expense of trains looms as just the latest chapter in handicapping rail in favor of rubber tires on streets.
—Jonathan Cohn, New York Daily News, 7 Feb. 2026
Social media giants Meta, YouTube, TikTok and Snapchat are accused of intentionally designing features, like infinite scrolling, at the expense of the mental health of youth.
—Julie Sharp, CBS News, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for at the expense of
Cite this Entry
“At the expense of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/at%20the%20expense%20of. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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