there is no free lunch

phrase

used to say that it is not possible to get something that is desired or valuable without having to pay for it in some way

Examples of there is no free lunch in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Yet there is no free lunch in pharmacotherapy, and a wholesale embrace of the disease framing of obesity without examining the broader consequences risks narrowing our understanding of both the problem and its solutions. Max Moser, STAT, 9 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“There is no free lunch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/there%20is%20no%20free%20lunch. Accessed 18 Jul. 2026.

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