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 of bailout

Verb

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

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

But in December the White House announced a twelve-billion-dollar bailout to row-crop farmers. —Boyce Upholt, New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2026

Gerald Ford denies a bailout for New York City. —New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026

Verb

These productions took place just as the Great Recession was about to mow down the lives and livelihoods of dedicated workers, many of whom lost more than their homes as banks were bailed out despite their predatory shenanigans. —Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2026

The borrowing would be through the sale of municipal bonds, the first such sale since the state bailed out the city in 2018 of nearly $550 million in debt — a move that sparked controversy at the time. —Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 16 Mar. 2026

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