costly

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Because error rates now carry financial penalties, states are under pressure to invest in staffing, technology and oversight — costly upgrades that many can’t afford, but are necessary to avoid even larger future liabilities.

From Salon • Apr. 6, 2026

OPEC+, as it’s known, “expressed concern regarding attacks on energy infrastructure, noting that restoring damaged energy assets to full capacity is both costly and takes a long time, thereby affecting overall supply availability.”

From MarketWatch • Apr. 6, 2026

Some users online said they used them to invest in stocks, claiming their "lobsters" analysed the best times to buy and sell, and even did the deed, despite the risk of costly errors.

From BBC • Apr. 5, 2026

“Iran intends to make any U.S. landing as costly and politically unsustainable as possible,” said Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East and North Africa program at Chatham House, a London-based think tank.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

Many had feared Farmer would be criticized for going to costly extremes to save one particular life, and that parents would besiege Zanmi Lasante with demands that their sick children be flown to Boston.

From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French