at a cost

idiom

: by giving up something else

He had achieved fame, but at a cost; he'd lost many friends and no longer talked to anyone in his family.

Examples of at a cost in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Senate Bill 169, by Hall, would increase longevity pay to state employees by 50% across all years of service at a cost of $18 million. —Barbara Hoberock, Oklahoman, 15 Feb. 2026

The average number of people that received $37 monthly for personal needs in fiscal year 2025 at Michigan nursing homes was 2,241 at a cost of $188,216 to the state. —Kristi Tanner, Freep.com, 13 Feb. 2026

In Season 4 of The Gilded Age, Bertha Russell (Carrie Coon) changed Society at a cost. —Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 13 Feb. 2026

The strategy has raised his profile outside Houston but at a cost, drawing criticism for missed votes in Washington and turning his travel schedule itself into a campaign issue. —Joseph Morton, Dallas Morning News, 11 Feb. 2026

Rhymes for at a cost

• holocaust
• permafrost
• accost
• crisscrossed
• defrost
• embossed
• exhaust
• recrossed
• uncrossed
• bossed
• crossed
• dost