Synonyms

flat broke

Idioms

Also,. Completely penniless. For example, I can't help you—I'm flat broke, or He's stone broke again. The first term dates from the mid-1800s and uses flat in the sense of “completely” or “downright.” The variant dates from the late 1800s.

Example Sentences

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flat broke

The woman making the request, Suerkis Polanco, explained that her family was flat broke and facing eviction from their “chete” in early January.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 4, 2024

When he was first elected in 1979, he was flat broke.

From Salon ● Sep. 14, 2023

Her family’s sizable investment came up flat broke.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 10, 2022

Left there nearly flat broke and a broken golfer.

From Golf Digest ● Feb. 7, 2020

I knew if I bought the mug I’d be flat broke but that didn’t make any difference.

From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

flat broke

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