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Synonyms

in the red

Idioms  

  1. In debt, as in Joshua can't keep track of funds, so half the time his company is in the red. This expression alludes to the bookkeeping practice of marking debits in red ink and credits in black. It survives even in the age of computerized accounts. So does the antonym, in the black, for being financially solvent or out of debt, as in Bill was happy to say they were in the black. [Early 1900s]

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Things were far rosier in the red half of north London in 1998.

From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026

Also, OpenAI and Anthropic would hardly be the first major tech companies to go public while still deep in the red.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026

The S&P 500 remains in the red so far this year, ending Thursday down 3.8%, according to FactSet data.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 3, 2026

Most stocks started in the red after President Donald Trump’s Wednesday address, which didn’t offer much new detail on the fighting in Iran.

From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026

‘Well—’ said the shorter boy in the red socks.

From "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.