# break the bank

idiom

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

## Meaning

To exhaust one's financial resources.

## Examples

- This cheap dinner will not break the bank.
- We want a nice vacation, but we need to find a hotel that does not break the bank.
- Although the antique watch was beautiful, he decided against the purchase because the high price would certainly break the bank.

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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.