at a loss
Idioms-
Below cost, as in The store was doing so badly that it was selling merchandise at a loss .
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Puzzled, perplexed, in a state of uncertainty, as in When his letters were returned unopened, John was at a loss as to what to do next . This usage was originally applied to hounds who had lost the scent or track of their prey. [Mid-1600s]
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at a loss for words . Unable or uncertain as to what to say. For example, Father's tirade left us all at a loss for words . [Late 1600s]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It was heavily reliant on a few big customers and ran at a loss.
From Barron's • May 1, 2026
However, when market prices rise suddenly – often above the original tariff and even above the concession price offered - pharmacies end up dispensing medication at a loss.
From BBC • Apr. 30, 2026
"I was at a loss and it looked like I was on the way out, which wasn't ideal, obviously," he told Australia's Channel Seven News.
From Barron's • Apr. 29, 2026
Like many doctors, Jenna Crosbie, a trainee GP in north Wales, would have been at a loss as to why a patient like Bethany Norman would refuse steroid creams.
From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026
“I know what it is! Why are you looking at that . . . that . . .” he stammered, at a loss for words.
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
