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

See Examples For:

at stake

Carney said Canadian subsidies for Francophone culture, the role of Francophone online media and bilingual labeling of products sold in Canada were among the issues at stake.

From Barron's ● Aug. 24, 2026

On a blistering Sunday afternoon at Dodger Stadium, the Dodgers defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-0 to complete a three-game sweep, but the rumblings beneath Chavez Ravine indicated there was much more at stake.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026

"I took the decision to announce that people wanted to do exploratory drilling there before COP because the interests of our country and our company were at stake."

From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026

What “One Night Only” makes so apparent is that our personal pleasure is at stake in this environment.

From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2026

And just to make sure Kurchatov and his team understood what was at stake, Stalin placed his head of secret police, Lavrenti Beria, in charge of the bomb project.

From "Bomb" by Steve Sheinkin