at stake

Idioms

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]

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

At stake is the question of when personal judgement and risk-taking become a matter of criminal liability.

From BBC • Feb. 17, 2026

At stake is the future of California racing.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 17, 2026

At stake was control over the country’s armed forces and companies with interests in agriculture, banking and mining.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 28, 2025

At stake is what David Levi Strauss, citing Jerome Kohn, calls “the public spirit” — the essence of democracy, where citizens engage in dialogue, debate and struggle, working together to promote the common good.

From Salon • Jun. 29, 2025

At stake, after all, is the world’s greatest forest.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023