at stake

prepositional phrase

At issue, at risk.

“What is at stake in these next 20 minutes is the championship.”

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Meanings

prepositional phrase
  1. idiomaticAt issue, at risk.

    What is at stake in these next 20 minutes is the championship.

    4 more examples

    Doesn't he realize that all of our lives are at stake here too?

    I see my reputation is at stake My fame is shrewdly gored.

    c. 1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Troylus and Cressida”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene iii]

    How, Lucia, wou’dst thou have me sink away In pleasing Dreams, and lose my self in Love, When ev’ry moment Cato’s Life’s at Stake?

    1712 (date written), [Joseph] Addison, Cato, a Tragedy. […], London: […] J[acob] Tonson, […], published 1713, →OCLC, Act I, scene iv, page 14

    […] as I have a great deal more at stake on this point than anybody else can have, I think it rather unnecessary in you to be advising me.

    1817 (date written), [Jane Austen], chapter V, in Persuasion; published in Northanger Abbey: And Persuasion. […], volume (please specify |volume=III or IV), London: John Murray, […], 20 December 1817 (indicated as 1818), →OCLC

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
on the line

Origin

See stake.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic عَلَى المِحَكّ
  • عَلَى المِحَكّ (ʕalā l-miḥakk)at issue, at risk
Catalan en joc
  • en jocat issue, at risk
Dutch op het spel
  • op het spelat issue, at risk
Finnish pelissä, vaakalaudalla
  • pelissäat issue, at risk
  • vaakalaudallaat issue, at risk
French en jeu
  • en jeuat issue, at risk
German auf dem Spiel
  • auf dem Spielat issue, at risk
Irish i ngeall
  • i ngeallat issue, at risk
Italian in ballo, in gioco
  • in balloat issue, at risk
  • in giocoat issue, at risk
  • a rischioat issue, at risk
  • in palioat issue, at risk
  • posta in giocoat issue, at risk
Norwegian Bokmål på spill
  • på spillat issue, at risk
Polish na szali, zagrożony
  • na szaliat issue, at risk
  • zagrożonyat issue, at risk
Portuguese em jogo
  • em jogoat issue, at risk
Romanian în joc
  • în jocat issue, at risk
Russian на кону́, на ка́рте
  • на кону́ (na konú)at issue, at risk
  • на ка́рте (na kárte)at issue, at risk
Scottish Gaelic an geall
  • an geallat issue, at risk
Spanish en juego
  • en juegoat issue, at risk
Swedish på spel
  • på spelat issue, at risk
Thai เป็นเดิมพัน
  • เป็นเดิมพันat issue, at risk
Vietnamese lâm nguy, bị đe dọa
  • lâm nguyat issue, at risk
  • bị đe dọaat issue, at risk
Cite this entry
APA

at stake. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/at%20stake

MLA

“at stake.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/at%20stake. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “at stake,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/at%20stake.

Source: at stake on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.