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

• exit
• move
• depart
• get
• go
• peel off
• walk out
• pull out
• get off
• cut out
• run along
• dig out
• sally (forth)
• go off
• take a walk
• escape
• push off
• evacuate
• clear out
• bail
• pike (out or off)
• start

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

The message linked to the X account of grain trader Ben Scholl, who has sounded the alarm on what Argentina’s massive bailout means for America’s soybean farmers. —Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2025

While the agricultural industry recovered the losses through a $28 billion bailout, soybean farmers warned their market share with China never recovered from the trade war. —Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 30 Sep. 2025

Verb

Chinese buyers have now pivoted to Argentina, which recently suspended taxes on soybean exports ahead of a pledge from the White House to bail out Buenos Aires’ ailing economy. —Semafor Events, semafor.com, 2 Oct. 2025

Volumes have been written about the strategic mistakes that saw Intel go from dominating the microprocessor market in the ’90s to becoming a company in need of bailing out today. —Lila MacLellan, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1939, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1925, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for bailout

• about
• blackout
• blowout
• breakout
• burnout
• buyout
• checkout
• closeout
• cutout
• devout
• dropout
• dugout

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