break the bank
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Meaning · English
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
Where it’s used:
Used
Widespread English
Examples
By this time, some are up to 14″ — but because the original outlay on stock didn't break the bank, Ken can offer them remarkably reasonably - priced.
Together with Britain's top holiday company we're offering a staggering 125,000 three to five night breaks at a price that won't break the bank.
British National Corpus sentence via the MAGPIE corpus (CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Listed in Wiktionary’s “English idioms” category (retrieved 2026-07-29); definition pending editorial review.
Common questions
What does “break the bank” mean?
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
Is “break the bank” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.