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Meaning & use

spending binge

noun·Advancedinformal

Last updated

UK/ˈspendɪŋ bɪndʒ/
US/ˈspendɪŋ bɪndʒ/

Meaning

  1. nouncountableinformal

    A short period when someone spends a lot of money, often more than planned.

    Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a spending binge' or 'spending binges'.

    Patterns

    • go on a spending binge
    • a spending binge on something

    After she got her bonus, she went on a spending binge and bought new clothes for a week.

    The city's spending binge on new offices left it with a huge debt.

    He admitted his spending binge was out of control and he needed to save.

Word forms

pluralspending binges

Common combinations

go on a spending binge
They went on a spending binge during the holiday sales.
a spending binge on
His spending binge on gadgets surprised everyone.
end a spending binge
She finally ended her spending binge and started a budget.
a government spending binge
Critics called the new road project a government spending binge.

Synonyms and how they differ

splurge
A splurge is often a single enjoyable purchase, while a spending binge is a longer period of heavy spending that may be criticized.
spree
Spree is similar but can be used for other activities too, like a shopping spree or a crime spree; spending binge is only about money.

Opposites

saving spreethrift

Word family

spend verb
To pay money for things.
spending noun
The act of paying out money.
binge noun
A short period of doing too much of something.

Commonly confused: spending binge or binge drinking? spending binge or shopping spree?

spending binge vs binge drinking

Binge drinking is drinking a lot of alcohol in a short time; a spending binge is about money, not alcohol.

spending binge vs shopping spree

A shopping spree is a fun, often planned period of buying things; a spending binge often suggests loss of control.

Practice

After receiving a large tax refund, John went on a _____ and bought a new car and a boat.

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