for the love of

Idioms  

1. For the sake of, in consideration of. For example, She signed up for all these volunteer jobs for the love of praise . [c. 1200]

2. . An exclamation of surprise, exasperation, or some similar feeling, as in For the love of Pete, give me the money! James Joyce used this idiom in Ulysses (1922): “For the love of Mike listen to him.” Pete and Mike are euphemisms for God. [Early 1900s] Also see for the sake of , def. 3.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

for the love of

She is also a model who married another model, Lucky Blue Smith, and regularly serves up a curated fantasy of ridiculous from-scratch culinary creations, all made for the love of Lucky and her four children.

From Salon ● Sep. 12, 2026

“I do it for the love of the game.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026

The players only play for the love of the game, graduate, then go on to active duty in the armed forces for a minimum of five years.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 10, 2026

We’re talking about unstoppable levels of Big Dad Energy at every twist and turn, especially the kind of dad who is willing to do embarrassing things for the love of his daughter.

From Salon ● Nov. 4, 2025

“Oh, for the love of Pete,” she said after a bit.

From "Beyond the Bright Sea" by Lauren Wolk