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Business English Phrasal Verbs and Idioms About Money: Quiz and Examples
- Erin West
- Apr 8, 2025
- 5 min read
Updated: Nov 26, 2025
Welcome to the Business English Phrasal Verbs Quiz!
Business English phrasal verbs and idioms come up all the time when people talk about money, budgets, and debt at work. In this lesson, you’ll learn simple and useful expressions that native speakers use when they overspend, borrow money, or try to stay on budget.
You’ll see clear explanations, natural examples, and a short quiz to check what you’ve learned. These expressions appear in real meetings, budget reviews, and project updates — you’ll hear them often if you work in finance, operations, HR, sales, or management.
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Today’s Challenge:
It’s Friday evening, and you’re checking your bank app before going out.
Your balance is almost zero.
You open your credit card history and see the truth: coffee here, delivery there, one quick purchase after another.
You didn’t notice how much you spent, and now you’re out of money.
You laugh, sigh, and say:
I _____ out my credit card this month. I have no money.
A) filled
B) maxed
C) broke
D) ran
Choose the correct option and listen to the sentence.
Did you get it right?
MAX OUT
phrasal verb
to use all of something so there is none left (for example, money, space, etc.)
I maxed out my credit card this month. (=I spent all the money available on it.)
The company maxed out its annual budget. =(They used all the money allocated for the year.)
We maxed out our server capacity and had to upgrade. (=The server was full.)
That's right! The correct answer is B) maxed.
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Learn More Business English Phrasal Verbs and Idioms to Talk About Money with Confidence
Sometimes in life or business, people borrow money or spend more than they have. When that happens, it’s important to know how to talk about debt clearly. In English, there are many common phrasal verbs and idioms that describe borrowing money, owing money, or using savings. Below are useful expressions that native speakers often use when talking about financial stress, loans, and debt.
PAY OFF A LOAN
phrase (phrasal verb + object)
to finish paying all the money you borrowed
I paid off my student loan last year.
We are trying to pay off the car loan early.
It feels good to finally pay off the loan.
RUN UP A DEBT
phrase (phrasal verb + object)
to spend so much money that now you owe a lot
He ran up a big debt by using his credit card too much.
We ran up a lot of debt after the move.
Don’t run up debt you can’t pay back.
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TAKE OUT A LOAN
phrase (phrasal verb + object)
to borrow money from a bank or other lender
She took out a loan to buy a house.
We had to take out a loan for the new equipment.
He took out a small loan to start his business.
IN THE RED
idiom
to owe more money than you have, to be in debt
Our company is in the red this quarter.
I was in the red after Christmas shopping.
They’re working hard to get out of the red.
DROWN IN DEBT
idiom
to have so much debt that it’s hard to manage
Many students are drowning in debt after college.
She feels like she’s drowning in debt.
We’re trying not to drown in debt again.
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FALL BEHIND ON PAYMENTS
phrase (phrasal verb + object)
to miss payments
He fell behind on payments after losing his job.
Don’t fall behind on your rent.
We’re worried we’ll fall behind on payments this month.
DIP INTO SAVINGS
phrase (phrasal verb + object)
to use your saved money to pay for something
I had to dip into my savings to pay the bills.
They dipped into their savings to fix the car.
We try not to dip into savings unless it’s an emergency.
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Test Your Knowledge: Can You Choose the Right Phrasal Verb or Idiom for Each Real-Life Money Situation?
Download the Infographic: Money & Debt Phrasal Verbs and Idioms
Click here to download the PDF version.
ANSWER KEY - QUIZ
1. She _____ $8000 in credit card debt last year and is now paying it off.
A) raised up
B) ran up
C) brought up
The correct answer is B) ran up.
2. I’m hoping to _____ the loan early and avoid extra interest.
A) put down
B) give up
C) pay off
The correct answer is C) pay off.
3. She _____ a loan to launch her online store during the pandemic.
A) took up
B) gave in
C) took out
The correct answer is C) took out.
4. He _____ on payments when two major clients delayed their invoices.
A) fell behind
B) fell apart
C) broke out
The correct answer is A) fell behind.
5. The company was still _____ despite a strong quarter. They owed several vendors large sums of money.
A) in the green
B) on the go
C) in the red
The correct answer is C) in the red.
6. Sales had dropped for three quarters in a row. The team tried cutting costs, but it wasn’t enough. They were _____ before they got acquired by a bigger firm.
A) in full swing
B) drowning in debt
C) breaking even
The correct answer is B) drowning in debt.
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FAQ: Business English Phrasal Verbs and Idioms About Money
What does “max out a credit card” mean?
It means you use all the money available on your credit card. After that, the limit is gone and you can’t spend more until you pay it back.
What is the difference between "run up a debt" and "fall behind on payments"?
Run up a debt means you increase the amount you owe by spending more than you can pay at the moment. The debt gets bigger because of your spending.
Fall behind on payments means you fail to make the required payments on schedule. You miss the due dates for bills, loans, or credit card payments.
Is “in the red” formal or informal?
It’s a common business idiom used in finance, accounting, and everyday work language. Companies use it in reports and meetings. In the red isn’t formal, but it’s acceptable in professional settings.
Can I use “take out a loan” for both big and small loans?
Yes. You can take out a loan for a house, car, equipment, or even a small personal loan.
What is the opposite of "in the red"?
The opposite is in the black, which means a company has money and is not in debt.
What does “dip into savings” mean?
It means you start using the money you saved instead of your regular income, usually for emergencies or unexpected costs.
Are these money idioms common in the workplace?
Yes. These expressions appear in real meetings, budget reviews, financial reports, project updates, and personal finance conversations.
Do native speakers use these expressions in personal life too?
Yes. People use them when talking about their own money, savings, loans, or bills. They’re not only for business.
Erin West is a Business English educator, writer, and founder of RealBusinessEnglish.com. She creates practical lessons, quizzes, and learning materials that help professionals use clear, natural, and confident English at work — with just the right amount of fun.
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