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
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
The records seem to show Mandelson giving Epstein confidential information about the European Union’s bailout. Idrees Kahloon, The Atlantic, 8 Feb. 2026 Sensitive information shared with Epstein includes forewarning of a multibillion-dollar bailout for the European Union, over $27 billion in asset sales, Labour tax plans, and even Brown’s resignation. Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 7 Feb. 2026
Verb
Oil from free America bailed out the virtue-signaling, totally incompetent Democrats here. Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 1 Feb. 2026 Melanie Anzidei and Meg Linehan got behind the bare facts to explain in full how and why the NWSL fought so hard to stop Rodman bailing out of the United States as a free agent. Phil Hay, New York Times, 26 Jan. 2026 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

Browse Nearby Words

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bailout.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bailout. Accessed 9 Feb. 2026.

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

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