err on the side of

phrase

: to use or show more of (something) than may be needed so that one can be sure that he or she is using or showing enough of it

It's better to err on the side of generosity than to appear too stingy.

We chose to err on the side of caution when planning our investments.

Examples of err on the side of in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This space will always err on the side of pushing for better. — Daniel Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026

Films today tend to err on the side of length in a way that can feel like fiction being distended. — Elissa Suh, Vogue, 6 Oct. 2026

These are not rare sights on most red carpets, but at the Emmy Awards, most stars tend to err on the side of conservatism. — Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 14 Sep. 2026

Tear the loaf into generous, craggy chunks rather than neat little cubes, and err on the side of bigger pieces. — Lillian Syme, Bon Appetit Magazine, 17 Aug. 2026

Rhymes for err on the side of

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