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.
That guaranteed the teams with revenue, with brokers benefiting from a markup for popular games but taking the risk that tickets to less popular games would sell at a loss, or not at all.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026
In one sequence, he imagines his reply to an interlocutor: “Because she is unknown,” he says, and then, at a loss, “I don’t know.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
"To be honest, when he is no longer around, I'll be at a loss," Godin quipped to AFP.
From Barron's ● Aug. 24, 2026
"But I must say, I'm rarely at a loss for words or without a clear solution. We'll have to feel our way through this new situation first."
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
Several times he tried to find a grip and at last sat back on his haunches, at a loss.
From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams
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.
