Phrase guide

break the bank

verb · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

verb

Meaning 1

At a casino etc., to win all the money that is available to be paid.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To exhaust one's financial resources.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic, intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

22 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: fer saltar la banca — win all the money that is available to be paid
  • Chinese Mandarin: 贏大錢 /赢大钱 (yíng dàqián) — win all the money that is available to be paid
  • Chinese Mandarin: 讓銀行倒閉 /让银行倒闭 (ràng yínháng dǎobì) — win all the money that is available to be paid
  • Finnish: räjäyttää pankki — win all the money that is available to be paid
  • French: faire sauter la banque — win all the money that is available to be paid
  • German: die Bank sprengen — win all the money that is available to be paid
  • Hungarian: bankot robbant — win all the money that is available to be paid
  • Italian: far saltare il banco — win all the money that is available to be paid
  • Polish: rozbijać bank — win all the money that is available to be paid
  • Polish: rozbić bank — win all the money that is available to be paid
  • Russian: сорва́ть банк (sorvátʹ bank) — win all the money that is available to be paid
  • Spanish: hacer saltar la banca — win all the money that is available to be paid
  • Chinese Mandarin: 耗費巨資 /耗费巨资 (hàofèi jùzī) — exhaust one's financial resources
  • Chinese Mandarin: 破產 /破产 (pòchǎn) — exhaust one's financial resources
  • Chinese Mandarin: 傾家蕩產 /倾家荡产 (qīngjiādàngchǎn) — exhaust one's financial resources
  • Finnish: tuhlata rahansa — exhaust one's financial resources
  • French: casser sa tirelire — exhaust one's financial resources
  • German: den finanziellen Rahmen sprengen — exhaust one's financial resources
  • German: den finanziellen Spielraum übersteigen — exhaust one's financial resources
  • Russian: прогоре́ть (progorétʹ) — exhaust one's financial resources
  • Russian: вы́лететь в трубу́ (výletetʹ v trubú) — exhaust one's financial resources
  • Spanish: arruinarse — exhaust one's financial resources