break even
Cover your costs
To break even is to finish with neither profit nor loss—expenses exactly matching income: We didn't make money, but at least we broke even.
The concept extends beyond finance to any situation where gains and losses balance out: I won the first game and lost the second, so I broke even.
The adjective form is hyphenated: a break-even point, break-even analysis.
No profit, no loss
- breakeven pointRevenue equals total costs
- profitGain exceeding expenditure
- lossBeing without something
- revenueBusiness income total
costs · expenses · income · outlay · investment · return · margin · solvency
Clean using liquid
- drawCreate with pencil
- tieEqual score, or neckwear
- stalemateMutual obstruction preventing progress
- deadlockMutual blocking, no progress
standoff · push · square · quits · level · flat · neutral · unchanged
Object of pursuit
- benchmarkStandard for comparison
- baselineStandard for comparison
- goalDesired end result
- volumeAmount of space filled
projection · forecasting · calculation · estimation · margin · indicator · measure
Able to continue independently
- nonprofitOrganization serving public good
- bare minimumSmallest acceptable quantity
- treading waterStaying afloat vertically
- making ends meetEarning enough to survive
breakeven
No profit, no loss
- breakeven pointRevenue equals total costs
- profitGain exceeding expenditure
- lossBeing without something
revenue · costs · expenses · income · outlay · investment · return · margin · solvency · cash flow
wash
Clean using liquid
deadlock · standoff · push · square · quits · level · flat · neutral · unchanged
target
Object of pursuit
volume · projection · forecasting · calculation · estimation · margin · indicator · measure
self-sustaining
Able to continue independently
- nonprofitOrganization serving public good
- bare minimumSmallest acceptable quantity
- treading waterStaying afloat vertically
- bootstrappingself-funded, self-funding, sweat equity, startup funding, solopreneur
- business termsfranchising, revenue stream, board meeting, gross margin, markdown
- box officebox office, gross, worldwide gross, opening weekend, ticket sales
- entrepreneurshipentrepreneur, startup, founder, co-founder, cofounder
- gamblinggamble, gambling, casinos, casino, bets
- money termscash, credit, debt, income, wages
break evenprofit
Gain exceeding expenditure
turn a profit · lose · gain · make money
break evenstrike it rich
Suddenly acquire great wealth
go bankrupt · make a killing · profit · turn a profit · hit the jackpot
break eventriumph
Resounding, celebrated victory
hit it big · crash and burn · boom · bust · thrive
break, broken, broke, breaking, breakfast, breakable, breaks, unbreakable, breaker