weight against

weight (something) against (someone or something)

To create or manipulate something to have a biased impact against someone or something. Corporate lobbyists have pressured lawmakers to weight employment laws against unions and their members. The state prosecutors have been accused of weighting the evidence against the suspect due to her political beliefs.
See also: weight
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

weight something against someone or something

to bias something against someone or something. The prosecutor tried to weight the evidence against the defendant. The police weighted the case against the accused company.
See also: weight
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

weight against

v.
To cause something to have a slant or bias against someone or something: They weighted the rules against the visiting team.
See also: weight
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • (someone or something) promises well
  • accompanied by
  • accompanied by (someone or something)
  • accompany
  • (have) got something going (with someone)
  • a slew of (something)
  • a ghost at the feast
  • a/the feel of (something)
  • a slue of (something)
  • (I) wouldn't (do something) if I were you
References in classic literature
And it is just the same with horses: you fret and worry their tempers, and decrease their power; you will not let them throw their weight against their work, and so they have to do too much with their joints and muscles, and of course it wears them up faster.
With one spring he flew from the chamber of Milady into that of the maid, and quick as lightning, he slammed to the door, and placed all his weight against it, while Kitty pushed the bolts.
She saw a glance at Maria which confirmed the injury to herself: it was a scheme, a trick; she was slighted, Maria was preferred; the smile of triumph which Maria was trying to suppress shewed how well it was understood; and before Julia could command herself enough to speak, her brother gave his weight against her too, by saying, "Oh yes!
He sailed with skill, stopping way on the boat without exciting the notice of the wranglers, and mentally forgiving his hardest voyages in that they had made this marvellous night possible, giving him mastery over sea and boat and wind so that he could sail with her beside him, her dear weight against him on his shoulder.
With a cry of encouragement I threw my weight against the secret door, but as well have assayed the down-hurling of the cliffs themselves.
Pike, who pulled at Buck's heels, and who never put an ounce more of his weight against the breast-band than he was compelled to do, was swiftly and repeatedly shaken for loafing; and ere the first day was done he was pulling more than ever before in his life.
But waiving illustrations of this sort, is it not manifest that most of the capital objections urged against the new system lie with tenfold weight against the existing Confederation?
If it were even true, that the adoption of the proposed government would occasion a considerable increase of expense, it would be an objection that ought to have no weight against the plan.
Then, as Malbihn stood at the edge of the disordered pile of blankets, Meriem suddenly ceased to draw away from him, and as quickly hurled her weight against him with the result that he was thrown backward, his feet stumbled against the bedding and he was hurled to his back.
At length, however, she gave up the attempt, and Jane heard her returning toward the window, beneath which she paused for an instant, and then launched her great weight against the timeworn lattice.
Plunging my weight against the crumbling mass, I sent it crashing into the adjoining cavern.
He threw his weight against the wooden panel; but the thick skeel of which it was constructed would have withstood a battering ram.
'The wind was so strong, that it was as much as I could do to shut the church-door by putting my whole weight against it; and even as it was, it burst wide open twice, with such strength that any of you would have sworn, if you had been leaning against it, as I was, that somebody was pushing on the other side.
The argument from the existence of mnemic phenomena in physiology must therefore be allowed a certain weight against the hypothesis that mnemic causation is ultimate.
When he had got close up to them, Hector strode towards them that his blow might gain in force and struck them in the middle, leaning his whole weight against them.