at the mercy of
Idioms-
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]
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Without any protection against, as in On top of Mount Washington we were at the mercy of the elements . [Late 1600s]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“You’re kind of at the mercy of the customer-service department,” said Jackie Mondelli, chief marketing officer at Squaremouth, a travel-insurance comparison business.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 9, 2026
“Partly it’s because a humble person may be a god in disguise, but it also allows society to function. People need to travel, to trade, and everyone is at the mercy of strangers.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026
The lesson of a long life, and of ruling a small country, he suggests, is that minor states are perennially at the mercy of greater powers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
"Reliance on a small number of US-based providers represents a clear vulnerability" which could leave public services "at the mercy of foreign actors," the report from parliament's Science, Innovation and Technology Committee said.
From Barron's ● Jun. 16, 2026
And he was at the mercy of this sea, hanging there with darkness all around him.
From "Go Tell It on the Mountain" by James Baldwin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
