break even

Related to break even: Break even analysis

break even

Of a financial enterprise, to neither gain profit nor incur debt; to earn and spend money in equal amounts. Thanks to increased sales this quarter, I'm confident that we will break even. When I play the slot machines, I'm happy when I break even. And then I wonder why I'm even playing.
See also: break, even
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

break even

for income to equal expenses. (This implies that money was not made or lost.) Unfortunately, my business just managed to break even last year. I made a bad investment, but I broke even.
See also: break, even
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

break even

Neither gain nor lose in some venture, recoup the amount one invested. For example, If the dealer sells five cars a week, he'll break even. This expression probably came from one or another card game (some authorities say it was faro), where it meant to bet that a card would win and lose an equal number of times. It soon was transferred to balancing business gains and losses. Novelist Sinclair Lewis so used it in Our Mr. Wrenn (1914). The usage gave rise to the noun break-even point, for the amount of sales or production needed for a firm to recoup its investment. [Late 1800s]
See also: break, even
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

break even

reach a point in a business venture where the profits are equal to the costs.
See also: break, even
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

break ˈeven

make neither a profit nor a loss: In the first year of the business we only just managed to break even.
See also: break, even
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

break even

To gain an amount equal to that invested, as in a commercial venture.
See also: break, even
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition.
See also:
  • make good money
  • earn a crust
  • earn a/your crust
  • earn a packet
  • earn (one's) daily bread
  • crust
  • earn (one's) crust
  • earn an honest penny
  • earn a mint
References in periodicals archive
Speaking on Newstalk the minister said: "I made very plain to them on a number of occasions that at the end of this year they will have to break even.
No licence hike to save RTE's bacon; MEDIA
This means that the number of weeks they need to work a year to break even is around average, at just under 17.
Mums work up to four months a year to cover cost of childcare
You can also use their free Direct Mail Response Break Even Calculator to determine your break even point on your next direct mail campaign.
Direct Mail Marketing Company BBDirect.com Launches Video Tutorial Library for Customers
It came out of bankruptcy protection and returned to the stock market last November, and first-quarter results released yesterday by GM showed a more than tripling of profits for the group, and a continuing trend of falling losses in Europe which should lead to break even by the year end, it said.
Vauxhall plant 'flat out' as GM Europe breaks even
The break even after 2 1/2 years of taxpayer-assisted financial bailout of banks was made possible by consistent interest repayments by banks.
-US figures show that taxpayers have broken even on investments in banks
TDN is also likely to break even over the medium term.
-CRISIL assigns BB to Tikona Digital Networks' bank facility
posted a smaller-than-expected quarterly loss, helped by an improvement in its struggling flat TV business, and said it was aiming to beat its official forecast and at least break even for the full year.
Sony Turns Smaller Quarterly Loss than Expected
But Age Concern Dudley which released the findings is urging people to take a well earned break even if they remain in the UK.
Credit crunch hits holidays
Kuwait would break even at $42/b and Abu Dhabi at $31/b.
The MENA Region's Economic Conditions: GCC States To Maintained Fiscal Spending
"It is with great pleasure that I can announce that Precise Biometrics has reached break even for the first time in its history.
Precise Biometrics AB reaches break-even in Q3
Metro International, the global free paper publisher, said Monday its same-paper sales fell by 8% in the third quarter, and that it does not expect to break even for the full year.
Free Paper Publisher, Metro International, Q3 Sales Fall, Predicts Loss For '08
At a trust board meeting for University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire, finance bosses said the trust was expecting to break even at the end of the financial year.
We will balance the books say bosses; HEALTH FINANCE: Hospitals trust chief dismisses rumours of a pounds 27m deficit
The European planemaker told analysts in Hamburg on Thursday that it now needs to sell 420 of the double-decker jets to break even rather than its most recent estimate of 270, parent company EADS said on its web site.
Aircraft News - Europe
From how to rent a vacation home to a formula for successful vacation home ownership, this tells how to evaluate properties, weigh pros and cons, determine what's needed to break even on the investment, and even how to work with property management companies.
Profit From Your Vacation Dream Home
Cost/volume/profit (CVP) analysis can be used to determine how many products must be sold in order to break even or reach a target profit and also to calculate the margin of safety for a business proposal Panel 1 contains the formulas for these calculations.
Management accounting fundamentals: CVP analysis is more than a number-crunching device to obtain simple answers. Grahame Steven shows how it also provides a mechanism for further evaluation