at the mercy of

1 they found themselves at the mercy of the tyrant: IN THE POWER OF, under/in the control of, in the clutches of, under the heel of, subject to.

2 he was at the mercy of the elements: DEFENCELESS AGAINST, vulnerable to, exposed to, susceptible to, prey to, (wide) open to.

→ mercy

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phrasal

: wholly in the power of

their lives are at the mercy of the conqueror — John Locke

farming was a risky business, at the mercy of weather, pests, limited markets — Printers' Ink

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at the mercy of

Wholly in the power of

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Main Entry: ↑mercy

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at the mercy of phrase

in a situation that is controlled by someone or something with the power to harm you

Workers are entirely at the mercy of dishonest employers.

Thesaurus: in a dangerous situation_synonym

Main entry: mercy

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completely in the power or under the control of

consumers were at the mercy of every rogue in the marketplace

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at the mercy of (or at someone's or something's mercy)

: in a position or situation in which you can be harmed by (someone or something you cannot control)

With no way to control the ship, we were at the mercy of the sea.

The people were at the mercy of the advancing army. = The army advanced, and the people were at their mercy. [=the people could do nothing to defend themselves from the army]

Our plans were at the mercy of the weather.

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Main Entry: ↑mercy