every man for himself

Idioms  

1. Each individual puts his or her own interests foremost. For example, In this company no one helps anyone—it's every man for himself. In Chaucer's day this dictum was stated approvingly, meaning “if you don't look out for yourself, no one else will,” but today such selfishness is usually censured. Despite the wording, the term applies to either sex.

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

every man for himself

After the commissioner makes this conceited Yank grovel, Marty simply replies, “It’s every man for himself where I come from.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 23, 2025

A fisherman in Bas-Limbe anonymously told the UN sanctions report's authors it was "every man for himself" and that he had seen hundreds of people hospitalized for various ailments including infections.

From Barron's ● Nov. 18, 2025

It’s every man for himself on the S.S.

From Washington Times ● May 18, 2023

"As Phil said, it's every man for himself at the moment," he added.

From BBC ● May 11, 2023

Fish and you fish alone, every man for himself.

From "The Young Man and the Sea" by Rodman Philbrick