at the cost of

idiom

: by giving up or hurting (something else)
She completed the project on time but at the cost of her health.

Examples of at the cost of in a Sentence

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During this year’s offensive, Russia seized just one percent of Ukrainian territory at the cost of more than 200,000 dead and wounded. Thomas Graham, Foreign Affairs, 10 Dec. 2025 The Affordable Care Act, Medicare and Medicaid suffer from similar flaws as top-down health reform initiatives that expand access at the cost of our system’s long-term viability. Kim-Lien Nguyen, Boston Herald, 29 Nov. 2025 The phenomenon highlights their relentless drive to find shelter, even at the cost of their own survival. Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 27 Nov. 2025 Both prior entries scored a majority of their grosses overseas and, notably, Lionsgate typically sells off international rights to limit its financial exposure, at the cost of capping upside. J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 15 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for at the cost of

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Cite this Entry

“At the cost of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/at%20the%20cost%20of. Accessed 15 Dec. 2025.

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