take a bath

idiomatic phrase

informal

: to suffer a heavy financial loss

take a bath on an investment

ESPN also is expected to take a bath in the first year of its new, four-year, $450 million NFL football package … . Combined baseball and NFL losses may eat up as much as $60 million this year alone.

—John Steinbreder

Apollo Global Management and TPG, the two private equity giants in the 2008 leveraged buyout of Caesars, took a bath on the company before exiting the investment several months ago.

—Christopher Palmeri

Examples of take a bath in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

An Astronaut’s Work Isn’t Finished when Back on Earth Much of coming back to Earth is coming back to the human experience and relishing in small things, like seeing family or taking a bath (there are no showers in space). —Discover Magazine, 18 Apr. 2025

With notes of lavender, chamomile, and vetiver, the beloved spray makes hopping into bed feel like taking a bath in a cup of Sleepytime tea. —Jenny Berg, Allure, 20 Feb. 2025

When Reagan was discovered inside the car, authorities alleged that Acosta was taking a bath. —Liam Quinn, People.com, 14 Apr. 2025

Switch to less stimulating activities without screens, like reading or taking a bath. —Ankur Bindal, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1935, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for take a bath

• osteopath
• aftermath
• multipath
• psychopath
• bloodbath
• footpath
• towpath
• warpath
• hath
• lath
• math
• path