receiving end

noun

: the position of being a recipient or especially a victim
usually used in the phrase on the receiving end

Examples of receiving end in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Over time, the person on the receiving end becomes distrustful of you. Tessa West, Contributor, CNBC, 24 Apr. 2025 As a result, the person on the receiving end continues to mentally replay the situation, trying to fill in the gaps and gain understanding. Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 22 Apr. 2025 The goal scorer on the receiving end of Marchand’s assist? Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 29 Mar. 2025 Eight years into what has become a 21st-Century tariff renaissance now sustained by two presidential administrations, lobbyists are again on the receiving end of pleas—and payments—from firms desperate to stave off a new round of duties. Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 3 Sep. 2019 See All Example Sentences for receiving end

Word History

First Known Use

1937, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of receiving end was in 1937

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Receiving end.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/receiving%20end. Accessed 4 May. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!