at the mercy of

Definition

In the power of; defenceless/defenseless against.

Example Sentences

• "The ball game is scheduled for Saturday, but we're still at the mercy of the weather."
• "The stories did not seem to me to touch life. […] They left me with the impression of a well-delivered stereopticon lecture, with characters about as life-like as the shadows on the screen, and whisking on and off, at the mercy of the operator."
• "Most of Britain's railways were built in the Victorian era. Railway routes were not only at the mercy of geography, but also of local landowners who wanted to minimise the impact on their estates. Construction was carried out by navvies armed with picks and shovels, with very little understanding of the underlying geology."