lose out

British  

verb

1. (intr, adverb) to be defeated or unsuccessful

2. to fail to secure or make use of

   we lost out on the sale

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lose out Idioms  

1. Fail to succeed, be defeated, as in The election's over, and you've lost out . [Mid-1800s]

2. Also, . Miss an opportunity to participate, as in We came so late that we lost out on our chance to see her dance , or The Republicans lost out in last fall's elections . [ Colloquial ; mid-1900s] Also see miss out on .

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Example Sentences

This found the lowest income households benefit, and the highest lose out.

From BBC

“If nobody comes back to finish out this house, a lot of people are going to lose out,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal

Some communities fear they will lose out as power and water are earmarked for data centers, which need ample supplies of both.

From The Wall Street Journal

Consumers typically benefit from this when insurers are in the red and can’t raise rates quickly, but lose out when the industry swings back to profit.

From The Wall Street Journal

You don’t sell a $3 million property and, possibly, lose out on $200,000 or more of an inheritance — although there’s no guarantee you would get that price; it’s just speculation at this stage — because the buyer whined so loudly and persistently that you just gave in.

From MarketWatch

Related Words

• break down
• decline
• fall