red ink

noun

1
: a business loss : deficit
2
: the condition of showing a business loss

Examples of red ink in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
As the Treasury Department auctions greater volumes of debt to finance the federal government’s ocean of red ink, bond investors may balk, sending rates higher and raising borrowing costs across key segments of the economy, like mortgage rates. Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 6 Nov. 2024 But Trump's proposals would add twice as much red ink to the nation's debt over the next decade as those advanced by Harris, a new analysis finds. Kate Gibson, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2024 Divisions remain in the GOP between deficit hawks who want to reduce the government's red ink and moderates nervous about gutting Medicaid and other domestic programs. Susan Page, USA TODAY, 2 Mar. 2025 Seven weeks after Vista Medical Center East placed 69 administrative and ancillary personnel on a six-week furlough to stem the flow of red ink, those workers remain sidelined as the hospital shifts its focus in search of profitability. Steve Sadin, Chicago Tribune, 4 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for red ink

Word History

Etymology

from the use of red ink in financial statements to indicate a loss

First Known Use

1926, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of red ink was in 1926

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Red ink.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/red%20ink. Accessed 20 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

red ink

noun
1
: a business loss
2
: the condition of showing a business loss
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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