at the expense of

phrase

: 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 rollback of standards is a sop to industry at the expense of air quality, public health and the climate. — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026

Many residents that spoke out at Tuesday’s public hearing agreed that the plaza needs a revitalization of sorts, but not at the expense of pushing the 14 existing businesses out. — Claire Murphy, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026

Merging two colossal restaurant companies would be a massive undertaking, potentially at the expense of the individual success of both brands. — Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026

There should also be fewer handoffs, but not at the expense of expert review. — Tim Lee, Forbes.com, 6 Oct. 2026

Rhymes for at the expense of

• above
• foxglove
• hereof
• thereof
• whereof
• dove
• glove
• love
• shove
• hereinabove