English Reference
Idiom idiom

break the bank


To exhaust one's financial resources.

Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.


SIMPLE

This cheap dinner will not break the bank.

CONTEXTUAL

We want a nice vacation, but we need to find a hotel that does not break the bank.

COMPLEX

Although the antique watch was beautiful, he decided against the purchase because the high price would certainly break the bank.


Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    all bedlam breaks loose

    The situation becomes chaotic or characterized by conflict or rage.

  2. 02

    all hell breaks loose

    The situation becomes chaotic or characterized by conflict or rage.

  3. 03

    bank night

    An event where patrons are enticed to buy entry tickets into some venue, for example a movie theater, with the anticipation that they will be entered into a drawing to win an amount of money if their ticket is drawn and they are on-site at the time of the winning.

  4. 04

    big break

    A breakthrough, especially the first big hit of a previously unknown performer or performers in the entertainment industry.

  5. 05

    break a leg

    Good luck!; Do your best!; Said to someone wishing they perform well in a theatrical production or comparable endeavor.

  6. 06

    break a sweat

    To put effort into something.

  7. 07

    break cover

    To disclose one's real thoughts and intentions.

  8. 08

    break down

    To give in or give up: relent, concede, surrender.

Last updated August 10, 2026