weakest link

noun

1. the person who is making the least contribution to the collective achievement of the group

Word History and Origins

Origin of weakest link¹

C20: from the British television quiz of the same name

Example Sentences

Romesh Ranganathan hosts a variety of programmes for the BBC, including a weekend Radio 2 show, The Weakest Link and his Misinvestigations series, but is unlisted.

From BBC

Mr Mitchelson, formerly director of National Digital and chief information security officer for NHS National Services Scotland, said IT systems were only ever as secure as the weakest link in the chain.

From BBC

The weakest link in the Hungarian government's narrative is that if he was really on the radar of Hungarian intelligence, government politicians and Peter Magyar as a Member of the European Parliament would have been warned to stay away from him.

From BBC

The Diamondbacks were supposed to be the weakest link of that group, starting the season slowly amid a couple of key injuries and repeated late-game collapses from their bullpen.

From Los Angeles Times

“In cybersecurity, the weakest link is often the human element.”

From Los Angeles Times