at the risk of

phrase

: despite the possibility of
At the risk of sounding rude, can I ask your age?

Examples of at the risk 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.
Space is at such a premium that, at the risk of mixing up their car keys, injured relievers José Buttó and Joel Peguero are now sharing a stall. — Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026 Pate now turns down sponsorship deals and other financial offers at the risk of overexposure. — Bobby Burack Outkick, FOXNews.com, 17 Aug. 2026 Anson Funds, which has been one of the five largest independent shareholders in Lionsgate since 2024, believes the company needs to take a more aggressive stance at the risk of becoming obsolete. — Dade Hayes, Deadline, 12 Aug. 2026 Plus, at the risk of sounding cliche, our culture is our weapon. — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 7 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for at the risk of

Word History

First Known Use

1728, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of at the risk of was in 1728

Rhymes for at the risk of

See All Rhymes for at the risk of

Browse Nearby Words

at the ready
at the risk of
at the root of
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All