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

"I'm incredibly proud of the players. They know what's at stake."

From BBC

There is, however, a great deal at stake, and not just for the aviation industry.

From BBC

On the contrary, they are acting like their lives are at stake.

From Barron's

"I will allow no further delays, the lives of our young people are at stake," he wrote.

From BBC

The manufacturers have so far been quite cagey as to which method they are using - understandably, as individual intellectual property is at stake, as well as competitiveness.

From BBC