close to broke

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "close to broke" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a situation where someone is nearly out of money or financially struggling. Example: "After paying all my bills this month, I'm close to broke and need to find a way to save money."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Books

Music

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

12 human-written examples

I was close to broke.

The New Yorker

True, the city is close to broke.

The New York Times - Arts

In fact, Lowe was pretty close to broke.

The Guardian - Music

Later she has to start "selling stock" because the house has "taken all [her] money"; eventually she is "close to broke".

The Guardian - Books

By the early 1990's, she was close to broke, in part because she never hesitated to pick up the tab wherever she went.

The New York Times - Magazine

Mr. McCain had started the quarter with his organization close to broke and still has $1.5 million in debt to pay off.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

48 human-written examples

But in the crash of 1907, he again came close to going broke.

The New York Times

They bought into teams for a song and came close to going broke week after week".

The New York Times - Sports

(I will never forget the moment when my father phoned me to ask if he could borrow five hundred pounds. He was sixty-two, and perilously close to being broke; I was twenty-five, had just started working for a London newspaper, and had my first regular salary).

The New Yorker

Currently, close to ten million broke and under-employed former students are trapped in a debtors' prison without walls.

Huffington Post

"We've come so close to going broke, we've thought several times about letting the house go to foreclosure," Johnson said outside a Filipino restaurant where they were eating lunch.

Los Angeles Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When writing about organizations or campaigns, "close to broke" can highlight financial mismanagement or overspending without sounding overly critical.

Common error

Avoid using "close to broke" when the situation is more accurately described as bankrupt or financially stable. The phrase implies a specific point on the spectrum of financial well-being.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "close to broke" functions as a prepositional phrase that modifies a noun or pronoun to describe a state of near financial exhaustion. As evidenced by Ludwig, it illustrates a situation where resources are severely depleted, approaching but not yet reaching complete depletion.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

75%

Books

15%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Science

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "close to broke" is a common and grammatically correct way to describe a state of near financial ruin. Ludwig AI confirms its acceptability and provides numerous examples from reliable sources such as The New York Times and The Guardian. While generally neutral in register, it's important to use it accurately to convey the intended degree of financial distress. For more formal contexts, consider alternatives like "facing financial difficulties". Using this term accurately can effectively communicate the severity of a financial situation without overstating it.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

nearly broke

Indicates a state of being almost, but not quite, completely without money.

almost broke

Expresses a similar meaning to "nearly broke" but might imply a slightly less dire situation.

financially strapped

Describes a situation where someone has very little money available.

cash-strapped

Similar to "financially strapped", emphasizing the lack of available cash.

on the verge of bankruptcy

Implies being very near to a legal declaration of inability to pay debts.

in dire financial straits

Highlights a severe and urgent financial problem.

having money troubles

A more general way of saying someone is experiencing financial difficulties.

facing financial ruin

Suggests an impending collapse of one's financial situation.

living hand to mouth

Describes a situation where one's income is barely sufficient to cover immediate expenses.

one paycheck away from disaster

Indicates a precarious financial state where missing a single paycheck would have severe consequences.

FAQs

What does it mean to be "close to broke"?

Being "close to broke" means you have very little money left and are nearing a state of having no money at all. It implies a precarious financial situation but not necessarily complete destitution.

What can I say instead of "close to broke"?

You can use alternatives like "nearly broke", "almost broke", or "financially strapped" depending on the context.

Is it appropriate to use "close to broke" in formal writing?

While "close to broke" is understandable, more formal alternatives like "facing financial difficulties" or "experiencing financial constraints" might be preferred in formal writing.

How is "close to broke" different from "bankrupt"?

"Close to broke" suggests a state of nearly having no money, while "bankrupt" implies a legal declaration of inability to pay debts. Bankruptcy is a more severe and formal condition.