have an ax to grind

1. To have a selfish motive or personal stake in a matter: “When the lobbyist approached the senators, they suspected he had an ax to grind.”

Example Sentences

I don’t have an ax to grind anymore.

From Los Angeles Times

“Let's not get out over our skis in Fulton County - so far a single defense witness, who may have an ax to grind with the DA, has testified that the relationship began earlier than Wade said it did,” he added.

From Salon

“The fact that I knew nothing about cellphones and didn’t have an ax to grind meant that I didn’t get bogged down with the technical side of why this product was revolutionary, et cetera. I could just focus on the things that to me were entertaining.”

From Los Angeles Times

Especially if you’re 1 of the 20 House Republicans with whom Speaker Kevin McCarthy may have an ax to grind.

From Slate

“If you look at the people who draw the analogies between Google and Facebook and TikTok, they’re either unsophisticated or they have an ax to grind in favor of TikTok,” said Dan Harris, a lawyer who works with foreign companies in China and writes the China Law Blog.

From New York Times