bailout

1 of 2

noun

bail·​out ˈbāl-ˌau̇t 

: a rescue from financial distress

bail out

2 of 2

verb

bailed out; bailing out; bails out

intransitive verb

1

: to parachute from an aircraft

2

: to abandon a harmful or difficult situation

also : leave, depart

Synonyms

Verb

• bail
• begone
• book [slang]
• bug off
• bug out
• bugger off [British slang]
• buzz (off)
• clear off [chiefly British]
• clear out
• cut out
• depart
• dig out
• exit
• get
• get off
• go
• go off
• move
• pack (up or off)
• part
• peel off
• pike (out or off)
• pull out
• push off
• push on
• quit
• run along
• sally (forth)
• scarper [British]
• shove (off)
• step (along)
• take off
• vamoose
• walk out

Examples of bailout in a Sentence

Noun

government bailouts of large corporations

Verb

if the meeting seems like it will never end, find an excuse to bail out

the government bailed out the savings and loan industry

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Society bears the burden when failures occur, as vast regulatory frameworks, bailouts, and deposit insurance schemes prop up these often too-big-to-fail institutions. —Jon Helgi Egilsson, Forbes, 28 Dec. 2024

Resultant bailout programs sparked years of austerity and financial woe for the country, with the economy contracting by as much as a quarter over the ensuing decade. —Karen Gilchrist, CNBC, 11 Dec. 2024

Verb

Many had to be bailed out with federal funds, costing taxpayers $12 billion in 2020 alone. —Tom Zirpoli, Baltimore Sun, 31 Dec. 2024

But the story of the 118th Congress is the Democrats bailing out House Speaker Mike Johnson. —ABC News, 29 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1939, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1925, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

bail out

verb

1

: to jump out of an airplane with a parachute

2

: to help from a difficult situation

Legal Definition

bailout

noun

bail·​out ˈbāl-ˌau̇t 

: a rescue from financial distress