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
If one species were prioritized at the expense of others, the ecosystem would collapse.
—
Scott Hutcheson, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2025
Legislators seeking to ease state budget restrictions that have forced state government to save billions in recent years — sometimes at the expense of core programs — face more than just political obstacles such as Gov. Ned Lamont.
—Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 23 Jan. 2025
That mirrors an argument that Interior nominee Doug Burgum made several times during his confirmation hearing: The IRA is fueling too much renewables development at the expense of coal, natural gas and nuclear.
—Daniel Moore, Axios, 20 Jan. 2025
However, for critics, his appearance embodied the troubling trend of celebrity figures aligning themselves with Silicon Valley’s new class of power brokers, often at the expense of the very communities their music once spoke for.
—Shelby Stewart, Essence, 20 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for at the expense of 
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Scott Hutcheson, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2025
Legislators seeking to ease state budget restrictions that have forced state government to save billions in recent years — sometimes at the expense of core programs — face more than just political obstacles such as Gov. Ned Lamont.
—Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 23 Jan. 2025
That mirrors an argument that Interior nominee Doug Burgum made several times during his confirmation hearing: The IRA is fueling too much renewables development at the expense of coal, natural gas and nuclear.
—Daniel Moore, Axios, 20 Jan. 2025
However, for critics, his appearance embodied the troubling trend of celebrity figures aligning themselves with Silicon Valley’s new class of power brokers, often at the expense of the very communities their music once spoke for.
—Shelby Stewart, Essence, 20 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 2 Feb. 2025.
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