at a loss

Idioms  

1. Below cost, as in The store was doing so badly that it was selling merchandise at a loss .

2. 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]

3. 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]

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Example Sentences

"They told me that their business had been running at a loss for the last five or six years and I asked them, 'so how can I help you?',"

From BBC

“I have never in my life been at a loss for words.”

From Literature

In July, Intel took a nearly $800 million impairment charge, in part due to selling off older manufacturing machinery at a loss, which the company believed it no longer needed.

From The Wall Street Journal

“What they did effectively trapped traders, forcing many to sell at a loss in a lower liquidity environment, and adding liquidity back in does not undo the damage done.”

From The Wall Street Journal

So when she was at a loss for words, the way she was now, that scared him.

From Literature

Related Words

• baffled
• befuddled
• bewildered
• dazed
• disorganized
• distracted
• muddled
• perplexed
• perturbed
• puzzled