in the red
idiom
: spending and owing more money than is being earned
Apparently the company had been in the red for some time before it went out of business.
Examples of in the red in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Chiefs’ biggest mistake happened in the red zone, though; after a Mahomes 52-yard pass to Hardman set up the Chiefs 9, Isiah Pacheco fumbled on the next snap, with the 49ers’ Javon Hargrave recovering.
—
Jesse Newell, Kansas City Star, 25 Mar. 2025
The last 12 miles, like some trips in the red zone, proved to be the most challenging, with traffic slowed for no apparent reason.
—Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Mar. 2025
There was a lot more blood in the red zone because people have extreme wounds, while there was going to be less in the pink zone.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 21 Mar. 2025
On Friday, Carroll jumped a pass in the red zone and secured an interception that likely would’ve been a pick six.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for in the red
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Jesse Newell, Kansas City Star, 25 Mar. 2025
The last 12 miles, like some trips in the red zone, proved to be the most challenging, with traffic slowed for no apparent reason.
—Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Mar. 2025
There was a lot more blood in the red zone because people have extreme wounds, while there was going to be less in the pink zone.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 21 Mar. 2025
On Friday, Carroll jumped a pass in the red zone and secured an interception that likely would’ve been a pick six.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for in the red
Cite this Entry
“In the red.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in%20the%20red. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share