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

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Stir in the red wine until the sugar is dissolved and then add the nectarine; refrigerate for 2-8 hours to chill and allow the flavors to meld. Laura McLively, Mercury News, 22 July 2025 What’s more, the Steelers failed to score a first-drive touchdown all season, were awful in the red zone, were awful on first down, and mostly awful in short yardage. Tribune Content Agency, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 June 2025 Johnston is a touchdown maker — four of his 11 targets in the red zone were touchdowns, including both of his targets inside the 10. Michael Salfino, New York Times, 11 July 2025 Consider this: of his nine touchdown catches in 2024, six were in the red zone. Miami Herald, 8 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for in the red

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“In the red.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in%20the%20red. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.

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