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at the expense of

at the expense of idiom

Also, at one's expense.

Paid for by someone, as in The hotel bill for the sales force is at the expense of the company. [Mid-1600s]
To the detriment or injury of a person or thing, as in We can't speed up production at the expense of quality, or The laughter was all at Tom's expense. [Late 1600s]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.