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

See Examples For:

every man for himself

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

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 3, 2026

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

But the pro-cabana mob say seeking protection from Australia's vicious sun isn't a crime - and it's every man for himself.

From BBC ● Jan. 8, 2025

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

From Washington Times ● May 18, 2023

As soon as they started rowing at a racing beat, though, he would bust the boatings up, and it would once again be every man for himself.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown