at the cost of
In exchange for
At the cost of introduces what is sacrificed or lost to achieve something: She won the promotion at the cost of her personal life.
The phrase frames a trade-off, emphasizing the price paid rather than the benefit gained.
The cost may be literal (at the cost of thousands of dollars) or figurative (at the cost of his reputation).
- moral dilemmaChoice testing one's values
- lesser evilMore acceptable harm
- greater goodCollective benefit over personal
- lossBeing without something
- collateral damageUnintended harm from military action
compromise · trade off · acquisition · concession · exchange · consequence · barter · trade · harm · relinquishment · altruism · utilitarianism · forfeiture · value judgment · drawback · surrender · damage · penalty
at the cost ofalong with
In conjunction with
together with · in addition to · as well as · plus · coupled with
at the cost offree of charge
Requiring no money
freely · gratis · unconditionally · for free · no strings attached