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 Trump administration is correct to eliminate any program that gives an unfair advantage to one group at the expense of another.
—
Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune, 2 Feb. 2025
Suspending foreign aid and withdrawing from the World Health Organization (WHO) signify Trump’s willingness to put America’s interests first at the expense of global chemical and biological security.
—Andrew Kishuni, Orlando Sentinel, 31 Jan. 2025
Daniel Di Martino, a vocal Trump supporter from Venezuela who researches immigration at the Manhattan Institute, wondered at the expense of it all.
—Gisela Salim-Peyer, The Atlantic, 31 Jan. 2025
Competition was fierce in their house, but not at the expense of loving one another.
—Maggie Menderski, The Courier-Journal, 30 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for at the expense of 
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Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune, 2 Feb. 2025
Suspending foreign aid and withdrawing from the World Health Organization (WHO) signify Trump’s willingness to put America’s interests first at the expense of global chemical and biological security.
—Andrew Kishuni, Orlando Sentinel, 31 Jan. 2025
Daniel Di Martino, a vocal Trump supporter from Venezuela who researches immigration at the Manhattan Institute, wondered at the expense of it all.
—Gisela Salim-Peyer, The Atlantic, 31 Jan. 2025
Competition was fierce in their house, but not at the expense of loving one another.
—Maggie Menderski, The Courier-Journal, 30 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for at the expense of
Dictionary Entries Near 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 9 Feb. 2025.
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