go broke

Idioms  

1. Also, go bust. Undergo financial collapse, lose most or all of one's money. For example, The company's about to go broke, or The producer of that movie went bust. The first expression dates from the mid-1600s; the second, slangier variant dates from the mid-1800s.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

go broke

You might spend a bundle on merchandise, but you’re unlikely to go broke buying food.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 7, 2026

An estimated 78% of NFL players go bankrupt or are under financial stress within two years of retirement, according to CNBC, while 60% of NBA players go broke or bankrupt within five years of retirement.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 20, 2025

Sometimes you go broke and tell your funny story about the importance of due diligence to young investors.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2025

"And if this continues, a lot of folks like me are going to go broke too."

From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2025

Having a girlfriend didn’t have to doom his chances to get into college or make him go broke.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Related Words

• break
• close
• drop
• end
• finish