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 large unpaid sums at stake, tax evasion counts as a felony that can lead to prison time.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 6, 2026

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 • Mar. 31, 2026

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 • Mar. 30, 2026

These cases are not a slam dunk for the plaintiffs or defendants on appeal; with so much money at stake, the upcoming battle will be brutal for both.

From Slate • Mar. 30, 2026

The Hogsmeade form wasn’t the only thing at stake — if he carried on like that, he’d be in trouble with the Ministry of Magic.

From "Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban" by J.K. Rowling