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

"There's also a much broader principle at stake here. No one, regardless of their title or their friends, should be beyond the scrutiny of Parliament," he added.

From BBC

Nothing less than the industry’s future is at stake.

From The Wall Street Journal

This was such a familiar nightmare for the Scots, their darkest fears in play, their rugby sanity at stake.

From BBC

"With the future of the family and the country at stake, Tommy must face his own demons, and choose whether to confront his legacy, or burn it to the ground."

From BBC

But there’s more at stake than entertaining ourselves.

From Los Angeles Times