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]
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A harsh interrogation, as in The detectives gave each suspect the business . [ Slang ; c. 1940]
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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.
“Particularly when your disobedience threatens to upend how the business makes money. In Hollywood you can be an addict, be a philanderer, be outspoken. But don’t disrupt the cash flow.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 1, 2026
Matt Schulz, author of “Ask Questions, Save Money, Make More: How to Take Control of Your Financial Life”: My son just finished his sophomore year and is in the business school.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 29, 2026
Tesla operates a few dozen robo-taxis in four cities, with the business currently immaterial to earnings but fueling investor optimism.
From Barron's • May 29, 2026
Universal said the offer "fundamentally and materially undervalues" the business, which also runs Abbey Road Studios and owns labels such as EMI and Island Records.
From BBC • May 29, 2026
And it was in the business of fire that I came to the first of many amazements inside the woods.
From "Woodsong" by Gary Paulsen
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.
