THE IDIOM COLLECTION LEARN & PRACTISE
Break even
Understand the meaning. See it in context. Make it yours.
01 / UNDERSTAND
Meaning in plain English
To receive enough money to cover costs, making neither a profit nor a loss.
02 / SEE IT IN CONTEXT
The expression in a sentence
- We need to sell fifty tickets to break even.
03 / CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING
Quick idiom quiz
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Can you recall the expression?
Complete the example using the expression from this lesson.
We need to sell fifty tickets to ________.
Show the answer
Break even — To receive enough money to cover costs, making neither a profit nor a loss.
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Make it yours
Write one sentence using “Break even” about your own life.
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Does your sentence match this meaning?
To receive enough money to cover costs, making neither a profit nor a loss.
Compare: We need to sell fifty tickets to break even.
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More ways to understand and use it
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When to use it
Use it when discussing an event, sale or business activity whose income matches its expenses. It suits everyday and workplace discussion.
More examples in context
- After paying for the materials, the craft stall just broke even.
- The first workshop did not make a profit, but it managed to break even.
Usage note
Use broke even for the past tense. Breaking even is different from making a profit: there is no money left after all relevant costs are covered.
A short conversation
A: Did the book fair raise extra money for the club?
B: No, we broke even after paying for the hall and transport.
A: At least the club did not lose money.
One more practice question
An event receives £300 and has total costs of £300. What happened?
A. It broke even.
B. It made a £300 profit.
Check your answer
A. Income equals total costs, so there is neither profit nor loss.
Related lessons
Meaning and usage checked against Cambridge Dictionary. Explanations, examples and conversation are original.