lose at

lose at (something)

1. To fail to succeed at some competitive activity. I can't believe I lost at chess to my 12-year-old niece! It's a rare day that Sarah loses at golf.
2. To forfeit something as a wager after failing to succeed at some activity. I lost nearly $200 at poker last night. I think I might have a gambling problem. My father lost our life savings at the race track when we were kids.
See also: lose
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

lose something at something

to lose a wager at playing something or at gambling. I lost a fortune at gambling. We lost all our money at dice.
See also: lose

lose at something

to be defeated at a particular game or activity. We lost at basketball but we won at football this weekend. I hate to lose at checkers.
See also: lose
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • lose at (something)
  • be no love lost between (two people)
  • it's not what you know but who you know
  • three-dimensional chess
  • be little love lost between (two people)
  • talk to the hand
  • talk to/tell it to the hand
  • end game
  • live and breathe (something)
  • live and breathe something
References in periodicals archive
If you've managed to lose at least 30 pounds--and keep it off for a year or more--the National Weight Control Registry wants to see what you have in common with other successful dieters.
The weighting game
But if I don't lose at least 10 pounds it'll never fit.
To eat or not to eat; the dieter's dilemma