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.
At the mercy of his wife and three children, Kronick said, he had no choice but to bring Millie home to Toronto at the end of their trip.
From Washington Post • Mar. 15, 2023
At the mercy of Foxconn to feed themselves, some said they were getting inadequate food or none at all, and were also lacking other necessities.
From New York Times • Nov. 2, 2022
At the mercy of algorithms few of us understand, we live with pasts that are always on the verge of bubbling up anew.
From Slate • Oct. 9, 2015
At the mercy of forces that appeared like whims, the voids in our understanding were filled with superstitious explanations.
From Scientific American • Sep. 30, 2015
At the mercy of our dear, gentle Fitzgibbon!
From The Blood Ship by Springer, Norman
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.
