bailout

1 of 2

noun

bail·​out ˈbāl-ˌau̇t How to pronounce bailout (audio)
: 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

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
Though Morgan Stanley borrowed more than $100 billion in bailout money from the government, according to a report by the Congressional Oversight Panel, Citi was even weaker, borrowing more than $450 billion. Michael Del Castillo, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2024 However, looming large in the weakness of the Obama economy were the bailouts signed into law by George W. Bush, but that were overwhelmingly supported by Democrats in Congress. John Tamny, Forbes, 7 Oct. 2024
Verb
Minnesota’s defense bailed out its quarterback, however. Rohan Nadkarni, NBC News, 6 Oct. 2024 McLaughlin bailed out a dead-in-the-water fourth-and-goal toss by leaving two Bucs grasping at air and dashing into the corner of the end zone to put the Broncos ahead 14-0 late in the first quarter. Parker Gabriel, The Denver Post, 22 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for bailout 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bailout.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1939, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1925, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of bailout was in 1925

Dictionary Entries Near bailout

Cite this Entry

“Bailout.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bailout. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

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 How to pronounce bailout (audio)
: a rescue from financial distress

More from Merriam-Webster on bailout

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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