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.

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Example Sentences

It was every man for himself, just like it would be in a real simulation someday.

From Literature

But with Southwest’s open seating, it was every man for himself.

From Los Angeles Times

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

Instead, America’s trading partners are following an “every man for himself” approach.

From Barron's

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