AT THE EXPENSE OF Definition & Meaning

at the expense of

To the detriment or injury of a person or thing, as in We can't speed up production at the expense of quality , or The laughter was all at Tom's expense . [Late 1600s]
Paid for by someone, as in The hotel bill for the sales force is at the expense of the company . [Mid-1600s]

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Idioms and Phrases

Also, at one's expense .

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

They’re putting others first, often at the expense of their own happiness.

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“The chance to do more and more onscreen is obviously enticing, but not at the expense of the character feeling real to me and to other people,” says Poulter.

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Ordaz’s increased playing time has come, at least partially, at the expense of Olivier Giroud, a World Cup champion and France’s all-time leading scorer.

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They’ve blotted their own copybooks by choosing to seek short-term relief at the expense of their long-term mission.

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“Oliver’s feigned outrage at Dr. Morley was fabricated for ratings and profits at the expense of Dr. Morley’s reputation and personal well-being.”

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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at the expense of

Idioms and Phrases

Example Sentences