stake
gb/stˈeɪk/ us/stˈeɪk/
B1
English
~ 10000
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B2
quantity
1
level of risk or loss
How much you can lose or gain in a situation, and how important it is.
Usage pattern:
the stakes in [something] are [adjective]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *"the stake is high"* instead of the usual plural form *"the stakes are high"*. They may also confuse this sense with the physical object (a wooden stake). Here, "stakes" refers to the level of risk or importance, not to a physical thing.
Synonyms
risk (General word for the chance of loss or damage; does not always suggest a serious or important situation the way "high stakes" often does.)
Antonyms
safety (Suggests freedom from risk or danger, the opposite of a high or serious level of stakes.)
Collocations
high stakes
|low stakes
|the stakes are high
|raise the stakes
|increase the stakes
Themes
business
|daily life
|sports
|emotions
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- With thousands of jobs at stake, the decision could reshape the region's economy.
- The stakes are high in this election for both parties.
- In peace negotiations like these, too many lives are at stake.
- Because the stakes were low, everyone treated the practice match as a bit of fun.
- As the deadline approached, the stakes of failure felt even heavier.
Learner examples
- The stakes are high in this game.
- My job is at stake if I fail.
- Their future is at stake.
- In this test the stakes are low.
- The stakes in this decision are very big.
Noun
B2
entity
2
personal or financial interest
A reason to care about what happens to something, often because you own part of it or it will affect you.
Usage pattern:
[someone] has a stake in [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse this sense with the gambling sense. In business or politics, *a stake in something* usually means an ongoing interest or share, not money placed as a one‑time bet.
Synonyms
interest (A broad word for concern or involvement; may not always imply ownership or investment the way "stake" often does in business or politics.)
Antonyms
detachment (Suggests emotional or practical distance and a lack of involvement, the opposite of having a stake.)
Collocations
have a stake in
|financial stake
|major stake
|minor stake
|equity stake
|stakeholder
Themes
business
|politics
|work
|relationships
|finance
Examples
- Local residents have a direct stake in how the new road is planned.
- She holds a 20 percent stake in the company.
- Parents have a strong stake in how the school is run.
- Environmental groups have no financial stake in the project, but they care about its impact.
- Because he has such a big stake in the outcome, he follows every detail of the negotiations.
Learner examples
- Parents have a big stake in the school.
- She has a financial stake in the business.
- We all have a stake in this decision.
- The city has a stake in the new airport project.
- They have no stake in the company, so they do not vote.
Noun
B2
entity
3
money or value risked
Money or something valuable that you risk on the result of a game or event.
Usage pattern:
[someone] puts a stake of [amount] on [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use *"price"* or *"cost"* instead of *"stake"*. The *stake* is the amount you choose to risk, not the normal price of something.
Synonyms
bet (Very common in everyday speech for money risked on a result; does not suggest the more formal or written style that "stake" can have.)
Antonyms
winnings (Refers to money gained rather than money risked, the opposite result of losing your stake.)
Collocations
small stake
|large stake
|initial stake
|put up a stake
|lose your stake
|win the stake
Themes
gambling
|sports
|business
|finance
|daily_life
Examples
- He placed a stake of fifty dollars on the final race.
- The minimum stake at this table is five euros.
- She entered the poker game with a small stake and left with nothing.
- Investors put up a large stake in the start‑up, knowing they might lose everything.
- Each player agreed on the stake before the game began.
Learner examples
- He put a stake of ten dollars on the game.
- The stake is very small, only one euro.
- She lost her whole stake in one hand.
- They agreed on the stake before they started to play.
- You should not gamble with a big stake if you are not sure.
Noun
B1
entity
4
pointed post in the ground
A strong, pointed stick or post that you push into the ground to hold something or to show a place.
Usage pattern:
[someone] drives a stake into [the ground]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this with *stick* or *pole*. A *stake* is normally pointed at one end and is put into the ground to support or mark something.
Synonyms
post (A general word for an upright piece of wood or metal; not all posts are pointed or driven into the ground as stakes are.)
Collocations
wooden stake
|metal stake
|tent stake
|plant stake
|drive a stake into
Themes
nature
|construction
|camping
|daily_life
|housing
Examples
- He drove a wooden stake into the ground to tie the dog to.
- Use a few stakes to support the young tomato plants.
- They marked the boundary of the new fence line with metal stakes.
- Make sure each tent stake is firmly in the ground before the storm hits.
- Surveyors placed stakes at the corners of the planned building.
Learner examples
- We used a wooden stake to hold the tent.
- He put a stake in the ground to mark the place.
- The plant needs a stake to stand straight.
- She hit the stake into the ground with a hammer.
- They put white stakes around the new garden.
Verb
B2
action
5
risk money or value on result
To risk money or something important on the result of a game, decision, or event.
Usage pattern:
[someone] stakes [something] on [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *"stake on"* without an object, as in *"He staked on the game"*. You must say what is risked: *"He staked ten dollars on the game"* or *"He staked his job on the result."*
Synonyms
bet (The most common everyday verb for risking money on a result; "stake" can sound slightly more formal or serious and can be used with non‑money things like a reputation.)
Antonyms
secure (Means to protect or make safe, the opposite of putting something at risk.)
Collocations
stake money on
|stake everything on
|stake your life on
|stake your reputation on
|heavily staked on
Themes
gambling
|business
|daily life
|finance
|daily_life
Examples
- She refused to stake her savings on such a risky plan.
- He staked his reputation on the success of the project.
- I wouldn't stake much on that team winning the championship.
- Investors are staking millions on the new technology.
- You are staking our friendship on this decision, and I hope you are right.
Learner examples
- He staked ten dollars on the game.
- She will not stake her money on that plan.
- I would not stake my job on his promise.
- They staked everything on this one big project.
- Do not stake too much on one idea.
Verb
B2
action
6
support something with a stake
To hold something up or keep it in place by tying it to a strong stick or post in the ground.
Usage pattern:
[someone] stakes [something] in place
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this with the idiom *"stake out"*, which is about watching a place, not supporting something with a post. Here, the action is physical: using a stake in the ground.
Synonyms
prop up (Informal phrasal verb meaning to support something so it does not fall; does not specifically mention using a stake in the ground.)
Antonyms
pull up (To remove from the ground, often making something unsupported, the opposite of staking it firmly.)
Collocations
stake the plants
|stake the tree
|carefully staked
|stake the tent
|newly staked vines
Themes
nature
|gardening
|construction
|daily_life
|housing
Examples
- Gardeners staked the young trees to protect them from the wind.
- You should stake the tomato plants before they get too heavy.
- They staked the tent securely before the storm arrived.
- Each vine was neatly staked along the fence.
- He staked the sign in the grass near the road.
Learner examples
- We staked the small tree so it would not fall.
- She staked the plant with a long stick.
- They staked the tent before they went to sleep.
- He staked the sign in front of the house.
- The flowers grew straight because they were staked.
Noun
literary
C1
entity
7
post for burning execution
A wooden post where, in the past, people were tied and burned as a way of killing them.
Usage pattern:
[someone] is burned at the stake
Common mistake:
Learners may think this meaning is still used in modern law. Today it is only used about history or in stories; it is not a modern form of punishment.
Collocations
burned at the stake
|condemned to the stake
|sentenced to the stake
|tied to the stake
Themes
history
|religion
|law
Examples
- Many accused witches were burned at the stake in the Middle Ages.
- Refusing to deny his beliefs, he was condemned to the stake.
- The novel describes the fear of those waiting at the stake.
- She studied how heretics were punished at the stake in early modern Europe.
- Legends tell of heroes who faced the stake rather than betray their friends.
Learner examples
- In the past some people were burned at the stake.
- He was tied to the stake and killed.
- The book tells the story of a woman who dies at the stake.
- They show the old place where people were burned at the stake.
- Many so‑called witches were sent to the stake.
Grammar
Dictionary form
stake
IPA
GB/stˈeɪk/
US/stˈeɪk/
Syllables & stress
stake (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (stake)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: stake
- Plural: stakes
Verb
- Base: stake
- 3rd Person Singular: stakes
- Present Participle: staking
- Past: staked
Word family
Forms
stakes
noun
staking
verb
staked
verb
Related words
stakeholder
noun B2
Advanced or less common
stakeout
noun
Expressions
at stake
1/ˈæt stˈeɪk/
idiom
in danger of being lost
In a position where something important may be lost, harmed, or affected.
Examples
- There is a lot at stake in these peace talks.
- My reputation is at stake if this plan fails.
- With so much money at stake, they checked every detail twice.
burn at the stake
1/bˈɚn ˈæt ðə stˈeɪk/
idiom
literary
execute by burning on a post
To kill someone by tying them to a post and burning them, used in the past as a form of punishment.
Examples
- Many people were burned at the stake for their beliefs.
- The play ends with the hero being burned at the stake.
- History books describe how so‑called witches were burned at the stake.
have a stake in [something]
1/hˈæv ə stˈeɪk ˈɪn sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
have an interest in something
To have a reason to care about what happens to something, often because it will help or hurt you.
Examples
- Everyone in the community has a stake in the school.
- Employees have a stake in how the company is managed.
- As parents, we have a stake in the outcome of these talks.
high stakes
1/hˈaɪ stˈeɪks/
fixed phrase
involving very big risks
Involving very big risks or very big possible rewards.
Examples
- She enjoys the high stakes of international business deals.
- In this high‑stakes exam, one bad score can change a student's future.
- Politics is a high‑stakes game in that country.
lower the stakes
1/lˈoʊɚ ðə stˈeɪks/
idiom
reduce risk or pressure
To make a situation less serious, less risky, or less stressful.
Examples
- We lowered the stakes by doing a small test first.
- Offering a money‑back guarantee lowers the stakes for new customers.
- To lower the stakes, they turned the graded exam into a practice quiz.
raise the stakes
1/ɹˈeɪz ðə stˈeɪks/
idiom
increase risk or pressure
To make a situation more serious or risky, often by adding more money, power, or importance.
Examples
- The company raised the stakes by investing even more money in the project.
- Her public promise raised the stakes for everyone involved.
- Each new round of the competition raises the stakes for the players.
stake a claim (to)
1/stˈeɪk ə klˈeɪm tə/
idiom
declare a right to something
To clearly say that you have a right to something or that something should be yours.
Examples
- Several companies are staking a claim to the new market.
- She staked her claim to the corner office as soon as she was promoted.
- Young artists are staking a claim to space in the city center.
stake one's life on [something]
1/stˈeɪk wˈʌnz lˈaɪf ˈɔn sˈʌmθɪŋ/
idiom
be completely certain of something
To say you are completely sure about something, as if you would risk your life on it.
Examples
- I would stake my life on her honesty.
- He'd stake his life on the team winning tonight.
- She was so sure of the result that she staked her life on it.
stake out
1/stˈeɪk ˈaʊt/
phrasal verb
watch a place secretly
To watch a place secretly for some time, usually to catch someone or learn what is happening there.
Examples
- The police staked out the warehouse all night.
- Reporters staked out the actor's house, waiting for a photo.
- We decided to stake out the café to see who met there.
up the stakes
1/ˈʌp ðə stˈeɪks/
idiom
informal
make situation more demanding
To make a game, plan, or situation more difficult, risky, or exciting.
Examples
- They upped the stakes by adding a tight deadline.
- The show really upped the stakes in the second season.
- Adding a cash prize upped the stakes for the contest.