lesser of two evils
IdiomsExample Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A wary Tinseltown reluctantly coalesced around the Netflix bid, seeing it as the lesser of two evils, but Paramount's willingness to stump up ever greater sums eventually saw the streamer withdraw.
From Barron's • May 13, 2026
She said she had felt that was "the lesser of two evils" and that she had been scared because she did not know what he could do.
From BBC • Aug. 18, 2022
"It's the lesser of two evils," says Tallamy.
From Salon • May 28, 2022
A contest that somehow boiled down to the lesser of two evils, or streaming services, in which voters ultimately opted for the Apple+ release rather than allowing Netflix’s “Dog” to have its day.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 27, 2022
Eventually Massasoit concluded that he possibly should ally with them—compared to the Narragansett, they were the lesser of two evils.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
![]()
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.