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.
In her story, we’re all at the mercy of each other’s whims.
From Salon • May 19, 2026
The entire stock market will soon become, for all intents and purposes, the meme-stock market, and your retirement accounts are at the mercy of their whims.
From Slate • May 15, 2026
“For indies like mine, we’re at the mercy of available light,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times • May 8, 2026
When the SBA was enacted, streaming services didn’t exist and the NFL was still something of a second-tier sport at the mercy of broadcast networks.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026
Tied to the new cars are balloons bouncing around at the mercy of the wind.
From "The Benefits of Being an Octopus" by Ann Braden
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.
