# go for broke

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/go-for-broke
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To try everything possible or do every last thing possible in a final attempt.

## Examples

- He decided to go for broke and bet all his money.
- With only one minute left in the game, the team decided to go for broke and attack with every player.
- After years of careful saving, she chose to go for broke by investing her entire life savings into her new startup company.

## Origin

From Hawaiian Pidgin craps slang, meaning “to wager everything on one roll”: one would be broke, i.e. bankrupt, if one lost. Popularized by the movie Go for Broke! (1951), which is named for the 442nd Infantry Regiment’s unit motto.

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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.