# break even

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/break-even
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To neither gain nor lose money.

## Examples

- We sold enough tickets to break even.
- The small café struggled at first, but by summer it finally managed to break even.
- After two years of losses, the fledgling company broke even in the third quarter, a milestone that brought cautious relief to its anxious investors.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.