cost 1 of 2

noun

ˈkȯst How to pronounce cost (audio)
Definition of costnext
1
as in expense
a payment made in the course of achieving a result the newlyweds spared no cost in building the kitchen of their dreams

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Relevance
2
as in price
the amount of money that is demanded as payment for something we can't afford the cost of a house just yet, so we're renting an apartment

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3
as in risk
the loss or penalty involved in achieving a goal they won the war, but at a terrible cost in lives

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cost

2 of 2

verb

as in to fetch
to have a price of the raffle tickets cost a dollar each

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of cost
Noun
Fuel costs are the main factor, said Rio Yamat in the Associated Press. — The Week Us, TheWeek, 20 Oct. 2026 But high costs and gas prices amid an unpopular war in Iran under a Republican president have made Democrats optimistic, with the Senate Majority PAC spending its final weeks investing in conservative territory. — Joey Cappelletti, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026
Verb
Even alternative pathways, such as adoption, surrogacy, or gamete or embryo donation, can cost a small fortune. — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026 Fall short, and the wait is costing you, however well the business runs. — Ron Smith, Forbes.com, 26 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for cost
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cost
  1. expense
  2. price
  3. fetch
  4. expenditure
  5. fee
  6. bring
Noun
  • Excluding notable items, expenses rose amid inflation and higher spending on technology.
    — Jenny Lee, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2026
  • The health benefits it is meant to finance aren’t one-time expenses, after all.
    — Ramesh Ponnuru, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of expense
Noun
  • One flight last week leaving from al-Qassim airport north of Riyadh to Geneva, sold for €94,000 ($105,000), compared with a price of about €60,000 ($67,000) before the closure of the main airport in Riyadh.
    — Melissa Hancock, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
  • His critics see a president who failed to tame inflation and keep America out of overseas conflicts, and whose agenda has fueled higher prices as the war with Iran appears to be at a stalemate.
    — JOSH BOAK, Arkansas Online, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of price
Verb
  • And no one has managed to fetch samples from Mars, let alone its moons.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Even seats in the upper reaches of the stadium are reportedly fetching more than $3,500.
    — Jon Root OutKick, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of fetch
Noun
  • According to the district’s chief business officer Gerardo Castillo, Sac City Unified’s initial report included only its 2025-26 expenditures and left out spending from 2024-25.
    — Chaewon Chung, Sacbee.com, 23 Oct. 2026
  • However, skeptics are getting more vocal in their concerns that returns on AI investment won't justify the capital expenditures.
    — Isabel O'Brien, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of expenditure
Noun
  • These provisions keep employers and plan sponsors from openly discussing their contract terms, which Cuban said blocks them from comparing fees and negotiating better deals.
    — Emma Witman, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Talking to Nieman Lab, experts suggested that Meta could possibly use the policy to avoid millions in licensing fees from news organizations by requiring all business users to share a wealth of AI training data simply for running a business page.
    — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of fee
Verb
  • Tariffs cannot build a better car The problem is, protection alone cannot make an American factory more productive, lower the cost of a battery, or bring a better vehicle to market.
    — Rick Lazio, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
  • As the first Laika movie explicitly set in Portland, the studio looked for inspiration in their own backyards for how to bring the universe of Colin Meloy's titular novel to life.
    — Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of bring

Browse Nearby Words

cossets
cost
costar
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Cite this Entry

“Cost.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cost. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on cost

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cost

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