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

Synonyms

Verb

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
But after years of financial mismanagement, runaway debt and bailout demands, that trust has long been broken. — Seth Lewis, Chicago Tribune, 20 Mar. 2025 The feature, together with Superman and Apple’s F1, could be part of a bailout for Warners after its commitment to $100M+ auteur movies such as Mickey 17, Paul Thomas Anderson’s untitled Leonardo DiCaprio pic, Maggie Gyllenhaal’s The Bride and Ryan Coogler’s Sinners. — Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 13 Mar. 2025
Verb
Here are three takeaways from the thrilling contest: Lankinen bails out Canucks early When the puck first dropped, the Canucks seemed ready to avoid a flat, miserable start. — Harman Dayal, The Athletic, 21 Mar. 2025 How to stay ahead amid inflation, market volatility How to stay ahead amid inflation, market volatility 02:48 Investors are bailing out of U.S. stocks — big time. — Anne Marie Lee, CBS News, 18 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for bailout

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

Rhymes for bailout

See All Rhymes for bailout

Browse Nearby Words

bailor
bailout
bail out
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bailout.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bailout. Accessed 3 Apr. 2025.

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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

Nglish: Translation of bailout for Spanish Speakers

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