the strong do what they can, the weak suffer what they must

A form of the strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must — The weak cannot resist the decisions of the strong; power, not morality, decides the outcome of any dispute.

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Meanings

proverb
  1. alternativeAlternative form of the strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must.
Cite this entry
APA

the strong do what they can, the weak suffer what they must. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/the%20strong%20do%20what%20they%20can%2C%20the%20weak%20suffer%20what%20they%20must

MLA

“the strong do what they can, the weak suffer what they must.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/the%20strong%20do%20what%20they%20can%2C%20the%20weak%20suffer%20what%20they%20must. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “the strong do what they can, the weak suffer what they must,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/the%20strong%20do%20what%20they%20can%2C%20the%20weak%20suffer%20what%20they%20must.

Source: the strong do what they can, the weak suffer what they must on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.