break the bank

/bɹˈeɪk ðə bˈaŋk/

/bɹˈeɪk ðə bˈæŋk/

[phrase]

to break the bank

[PHRASE]

to financially ruin one due to having a very high cost

to [break] the bank definition and meaning

What is the origin of the idiom "break the bank" and when to use it?

The idiom "break the bank" originates from the world of gambling, particularly from casino games like roulette or blackjack. In these games, the "bank" refers to the total amount of money or chips that the casino has available to pay out winnings to players. It is used to describe a situation where someone spends an exorbitant amount of money or exceeds their budget on a purchase, venture, or event.

Examples

1. At that rate, a cup of coffee that costs 2 dollars this year would cost 2 dollars and 4 cents next year, not quite enough to break the bank.

2. You may have to break your back, but you can avoid breaking the bank.

3. To avoid breaking the bank, many places are focusing on testing only people who already have COVID symptoms or who were recently exposed to someone with COVID.

4. She loves shopping for designer clothes, but she knows not to break the bank on expensive fashion items.

Nearby words

break the back of the beast