break the bank

Meaning

This idiom means to cost too much money or to completely exhaust one's financial resources. It is almost always used in the negative ('won't break the bank') to reassure someone that an item or trip is affordable and reasonable.

Examples

• We can go out for a nice dinner tonight; it won't break the bank.

  We can go out for a nice dinner tonight; it won't break the bank.

• A trip to Paris is amazing, but it can easily break the bank if you aren't careful.

  A trip to Paris is amazing, but it can easily break the bank if you aren't careful.

• I want to buy a decent camera for my vacation, but I don't want to break the bank.

  I want to buy a decent camera for my vacation, but I don't want to break the bank.

• Hostels are a great option if you want to travel without breaking the bank.

  Hostels are a great option if you want to travel without breaking the bank.

• Upgrading to business class would have broken the bank, so we stayed in economy.

  Upgrading to business class would have broken the bank, so we stayed in economy.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ The hotel broke my bank.

  ✓ The hotel broke the bank.

  The idiom is fixed as 'break the bank', not 'break my/your bank'.

• ✗ I broke the bank to buy this cheap souvenir.

  ✓ I bought this cheap souvenir because it didn't break the bank.

  'Break the bank' means spending too much money, not spending a small amount.

Related Expressions

Practice

• You can find plenty of great street food here that won't ___.

  💡 Cost too much money

  Show answer

  break the bank

• We wanted a luxury hotel, but we knew it would ___.

  💡 Deplete our savings

  Show answer

  break the bank