Definition

Verb phrase: - To risk everything one has in a single, decisive effort; to commit all of one's resources or energy to achieve a goal, accepting the possibility of total loss.

Usage

This phrase is used to describe a situation where someone decides to make an all-or-nothing attempt, often in high-stakes circumstances like sports, business, or personal challenges. It implies a conscious choice to abandon caution for a chance at a major victory.

Examples

• In the final minutes of the game, the team decided to go for broke and used all their remaining timeouts to plan one last aggressive play.
• She's going for broke by investing her entire savings into starting her own company.
• Don't go for broke on a single hand of poker; it's better to manage your chips carefully.

Advanced Usage

• The phrase can be used in a figurative sense beyond financial risk, applying to any scenario requiring total commitment (e.g., emotional energy, reputation, career).
• It often carries a connotation of desperation or a final, bold move when other options seem limited.

Variants and Related Words

• All-or-nothing (adj.): Describing a strategy or approach with only two possible outcomes: complete success or total failure.
• Double or nothing (phrase): A gamble, especially in betting, where one either doubles the winnings or loses everything.

Synonyms

• Risk it all
• Shoot the moon
• Put all one's eggs in one basket

Related Idioms

• Bet the farm: To risk everything of value on a single venture.
  • He bet the farm on that real estate deal, and it paid off.
• Throw caution to the wind: To stop being careful and act in a reckless way.
  • They threw caution to the wind and quit their jobs to travel the world.

Verb

1. risk everything in one big effort
   • the cyclist went for broke at the end of the race