breaking even
Zero net gain
Breaking even is ending with neither profit nor loss—recovering exactly what was invested or spent.
A business breaks even when revenues match costs: We broke even in our first year.
The phrase extends beyond finance to any situation where gains and losses cancel out: After all the drama, I'd say we're breaking even.
- revenuesIncome from operations
- costsAmounts required to pay
- pricing strategyMethod for determining costs
- expensesMoney spent on things
- cost-cuttingReducing expenditures deliberately
cutting losses · making ends meet · marginal cost · equilibrium · overhead · recoup · net income · budgeting · profit margin · wash · bottom line · trade-offs · fixed costs · gross income · opportunity cost · operational efficiency · variable costs · zero-sum game
- financially afloatafloat, solvent, debt-free, in the black, creditworthy
- breakingcracking, fracturing, rupturing, shattering, snapping
breaking evengoing bankrupt
Legally insolvent status
making a killing · in the red · profiting · in the black · profitable
breaking eventhriving
Succeeding vigorously
failing · tanking · going under · floundering · going bust
break, even, broken, breaks, breaker, breakers, breakage, breaking, unbroken