This is the 3759th most frequent Russian word.
ценой
The Russian word "ценой" means "at the cost of" or "by means of (a sacrifice)."
The word 'ценой' here is used to express 'at the cost' indicating a sacrifice made.
Он спас щенка ценой своей жизни.
He saved the puppy at the cost of his life.
In this sentence, 'ценой' means 'by virtue of' or 'by means of', denoting the efforts made towards an achievement.
Ценой долгих тренировок он стал чемпионом.
Through long training sessions, he became the champion.
Here, 'ценой' is used to highlight the trade-off or the cost that resulted in a benefit, emphasizing gratitude in this context.