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.
After more than five years of gushing red ink, 2025 was the year when streaming across the board started to turn a profit. Dade Hayes, Deadline, 28 Dec. 2025 Throughout California, school districts, cities, counties and other units of local government are facing deficits rooted in the same dynamics that led to red ink in state finances — immense injections of federal relief funds during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dan Walters, Mercury News, 20 Dec. 2025 Tyson expects to lose more than $600 million on beef production this year after already reporting $720 million of red ink in beef over the past two years. Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 25 Nov. 2025 Rivas' mother also confirmed to TMZ that her daughter had that phrase tattooed on her right index finger in red ink. Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 19 Nov. 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 1 Jan. 2026.

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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