Showing definitions for on the house

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Slang dictionary results for on the house

on the house

Idioms  

1. At the expense of the establishment, as in This hotel serves an afternoon tea that's on the house. This idiom uses house in the sense of “an inn, tavern, or other building serving the public.” [Late 1800s]

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Example Sentences

Before the fires, the value of their property had appreciated to $1.2 million, though Ford still owes nearly $500,000 on the house after his father refinanced several times.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 6, 2026

"How much did Santa's sleigh cost? Nothing, it was on the house."

From BBC • Dec. 22, 2025

When police served a search warrant on the house in February, they found 26 assault-style rifles in one of the bedrooms, he said.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 21, 2025

He’s hoping to close on the house by Nov. 20, but is also mentally prepared to let the house go if the shutdown persists.

From MarketWatch • Oct. 31, 2025

Or because they were popular and loved so much that the school cafeteria offered them mozzarella sticks and crinkle-cut fries on the house.

From "Look Both Ways" by Jason Reynolds