at the expense of

Idioms  

1. Also, at one's expense.

2. Paid for by someone, as in The hotel bill for the sales force is at the expense of the company . [Mid-1600s]

3. 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]

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Example Sentences

“I think it’s emblematic of the way in which the ‘F’ at the FDA has often been silent — and food issues have often been deprioritized at the expense of drug issues,” she adds.

From Salon • Apr. 11, 2026

That awarding of merit aid, according to Burd, has come at the expense of the lowest-income students.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 27, 2026

"It opens the door to wider challenges against social media and other technology systems engineered to maximise engagement at the expense of user wellbeing."

From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026

The resolution "risks pitting historical tragedies against each other that should not be compared, except at the expense of the memory of the victims," said French representative Sylvain Fournel.

From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026

For months, Brougham had been using his daily sports column, “The Morning After,” to sing the praises of the sophomores, sometimes at the expense of the older boys who now constituted the varsity.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown