the business
Idioms-
Verbal abuse, scolding, or teasing; also, a beating. For example, At boarding school new kids always get the business , or The boxer faked and then gave his opponent the business . [ Slang ; c. 1940]
-
A harsh interrogation, as in The detectives gave each suspect the business . [ Slang ; c. 1940]
-
Dismissal from work or jilting, as in Once the new management takes over I'm sure to get the business , or Dorothy gave him the business and married someone else . [ Slang ; c. 1940]
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.
Oldfield says: "How do we shore the business up into a place that's right for them to come into without saddling them with a lot of debt?"
From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026
While private-equity firms typically hold investments for much longer periods, the team felt the business was already close to camera-ready when the firm bought it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
Some 35 bodies and more than 100 sets of ashes were found by police when the business was raided in March 2024.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
“The robust interest in the Company throughout this process only reinforced our belief in the business and enthusiasm for its next phase of growth,” Davis Noell, Providence’s co-head of North America, said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
Part of the Interior Department, the office handled the business of pensions paid to former government employees, including veterans.
From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis
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.
