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
The largest expense was labor, at a cost of $664,897 in the 2022-23 fiscal year.
—
Sacbee.com, 14 July 2025
The country has developed a world-leading electric vehicle manufacturing industry and in a short time period become the world’s leading auto exporter—building good cars at a cost that American and European competitors can’t match.
—Justin Worland, Time, 11 July 2025
The Japanese American Association of New York and Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of New York offer a one-day tour bus from Manhattan on induction day at a cost of $305.
—Evan Drellich, New York Times, 11 July 2025
The insect was officially eradicated in the United States by 1966, at a cost of $32 million to complete – protecting the U.S. cattle and beef industry, worth more than $80 billion today.
—Elizabeth Weise, USA Today, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for at a cost
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Sacbee.com, 14 July 2025
The country has developed a world-leading electric vehicle manufacturing industry and in a short time period become the world’s leading auto exporter—building good cars at a cost that American and European competitors can’t match.
—Justin Worland, Time, 11 July 2025
The Japanese American Association of New York and Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of New York offer a one-day tour bus from Manhattan on induction day at a cost of $305.
—Evan Drellich, New York Times, 11 July 2025
The insect was officially eradicated in the United States by 1966, at a cost of $32 million to complete – protecting the U.S. cattle and beef industry, worth more than $80 billion today.
—Elizabeth Weise, USA Today, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for at a cost
Cite this Entry
“At a cost.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/at%20a%20cost. Accessed 20 Jul. 2025.
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