receiving end

American  

noun

1. the position in which one is subject to some kind of action or effect, especially an unpleasant one (usually used in the phrase at oron the receiving end ).

   The corporation is on the receiving end of many complaints about its advertising.

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Etymology

Origin of receiving end

First recorded in 1930–35

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

receiving end

Now the people on the receiving end of this thumping sound quite worried:

From Slate ● Nov. 10, 2026

“It’s a village bank that came out of nowhere and is now on the receiving end of a lot of A7’s activities,” Tvarozna said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 3, 2026

The incident happened when Shaw, on the receiving end of a reckless challenge by Bentancur, raced towards the Spurs player and shoved him off the pitch.

From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026

We are on the receiving end of the tariff costs, which we can’t avoid even if we purchase from a domestic smelter.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026

Life works like this: You are on the receiving end of all sorts of stuff, but you do not see it clearly.

From "The Misfits" by James Howe

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