bail out

British  

verb

1. (intr) to make an emergency parachute jump from an aircraft

2. informal (tr) to help (a person, organization, etc) out of a predicament

   the government bailed the company out

3. informal (intr) to escape from a predicament

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bail out Idioms  

1. Empty water out of a boat, usually by dipping with a bucket or other container. For example, We had to keep bailing out water from this leaky canoe . [Early 1600s]

2. Rescue someone in an emergency, especially a financial crisis of some kind, as in They were counting on an inheritance to bail them out . [ Colloquial ; 1900s]

3. Jump out of an airplane, using a parachute. For example, When the second engine sputtered, the pilot decided to bail out . [c. 1930]

4. Give up on something, abandon a responsibility, as in The company was not doing well, so John decided to bail out while he could still find another job . [Second half of 1900s]

5. See make bail .

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Example Sentences

She bailed out her team, again and again.

From The Wall Street Journal

Beijing is Islamabad's closest regional ally, readily providing financial assistance to bail out its often struggling neighbour.

From Barron's

Bower recalled a particularly nasty crash in training this season, when an icy halfpipe made Kim bail out of a trick halfway through.

From The Wall Street Journal

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was asked if the Treasury Department has the ability to bail out Bitcoin, or to order U.S. banks to purchase the cryptocurrency.

From Barron's

The head of tiny but historic Occidental Studios is looking to bail out — for the right price.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• relieve
• rescue