at the mercy of

Idioms  

1. Also, at someone's mercy . Subject to the power of, helpless against, as in The captured rebels were at the mercy of the army commander . [Late 1500s]

2. Without any protection against, as in On top of Mount Washington we were at the mercy of the elements . [Late 1600s]

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Example Sentences

Just days after arriving in Marseille, he threw himself at the mercy of police officers, begging them to get him out of there.

From Barron's

"It just feels like our life is kind of in this limbo state, unstable," Sanam said, adding that she and her husband feel like they are "at the mercy of what the government decides".

From BBC

Suppliers "are at the mercy of big brands that impose commercial conditions, starting with prices that are too low to cover all costs", said Deborah Lucchetti, national coordinator of the Clean Clothes Campaign in Italy.

From Barron's

They are still at the mercy of electricity prices linked to the cost of imported fossil fuels while also shouldering big upfront costs to overhaul grids to handle the intermittent renewable power.

From The Wall Street Journal

But there has been a surprising change of approach in some areas where villages have been at the mercy of bandits for the last decade and have given up hope of getting help from the security forces.

From BBC