at stake

Idioms  

1. At risk to be won or lost, as in We have a great deal at stake in this transaction. This phrase uses stake in the sense of something that is wagered. Shakespeare used it in Troilus and Cressida (3:3): “I see my reputation is at stake.” [Late 1500s]

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Example Sentences

With 11 Arsenal players withdrawing from international duty this month, are the Gunners facing an injury crisis or is caution being shown with so much at stake this season?

From BBC

But it was possible the badger could be the soul at stake.

From Literature

These types of investments usually require a great deal of capital, so you’ll have a lot at stake and it’ll be worth your time.

From MarketWatch

Team representatives wrote in the lobbying material that the Blazers’ future in Portland was at stake — and that a departure would threaten the city’s turnaround from pandemic-era headlines about downtown retail vacancies and crime.

From Salon

“Given what’s at stake today, that could be a major challenge for the world.”

From The Wall Street Journal