at the cost of

phrase

: 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

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Again, if intermediate temperatures are needed, it could potentially be mixed with some hot air coming directly from the storage medium, albeit at the cost of generation. — ArsTechnica, 29 Oct. 2026 The ongoing rat race between AI companies jockeying for trillion-dollar initial public offering (IPO) valuations continues to come at the cost of scientific clarity and adherence to academic norms. — Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 27 Oct. 2026 In the short run, the president hopes to boost Republican prospects in next week’s midterm elections by buying diesel fuel from Russia — a move aimed at lowering prices at the cost of bolstering Putin’s war economy. — Doyle McManus, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2026 Matt worked in medical research at Yale, adopting animals in captivity on a regular basis, at the cost of being able to travel freely. — Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for at the cost of

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“At the cost of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/at%20the%20cost%20of. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster