at the expense of

idiom

: in a way that harms (something or someone)

Malls flourished at the expense of small stores downtown.

He argues that the tax cut will benefit the rich at the expense of the poor.

Examples of at the expense of in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

PepsiCo has focused on marketing and investing in snack brands in the United States at the expense of sugary soda brands, analysts say. —Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN, 1 Nov. 2024

Changing consumers’ mindsets about price is another, as cheap products are often produced at the expense of workers’ wages. —Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 30 Oct. 2024

But far from bolstering Armenia at the expense of its neighbors, Khachaturyan insists that sharing that budding affluence will further enhance security. —Charlie Campbell / Yerevan, TIME, 22 Oct. 2024

This focus on metrics can push creators away from authentic expression, a crucial attribute of folk art, and instead toward content optimized for algorithmic success, often at the expense of originality and sincerity. —Ruby Justice Thelot, ARTnews.com, 1 Nov. 2024