in the red

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

It is impossible not to think of the girl in the red coat in Steven Spielberg’s “Schindler’s List,” a note of humanity and innocence deposited on the dust heap of history.

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Even though bullion futures were holding on steady on Friday, gold-mining stocks opened in the red.

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The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite has seen several days when it was deeply in the red recently, which could foreshadow a true drawdown if any of these—or other—risks emerge.

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Oak Street continues to operate in the red, but CVS wouldn’t provide precise figures.

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Oil prices remain in the red this year, and companies have pulled back on related expenses.

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