bail out
Britishverb
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(intr) to make an emergency parachute jump from an aircraft
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informal (tr) to help (a person, organization, etc) out of a predicament
the government bailed the company out
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informal (intr) to escape from a predicament
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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]
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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]
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Jump out of an airplane, using a parachute. For example, When the second engine sputtered, the pilot decided to bail out . [c. 1930]
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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]
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See make bail .
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
You cannot bail out the Titanic with a soup ladle.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 25, 2026
It would also likely force Riyadh to spend billions of dollars to bolster defenses and bail out already-limping projects, further straining a budget that’s faced growing deficits.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 6, 2026
Beijing is Islamabad's closest regional ally, readily providing financial assistance to bail out its often struggling neighbour.
From Barron's ● Feb. 17, 2026
The head of tiny but historic Occidental Studios is looking to bail out — for the right price.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 27, 2026
By the time he reached the turn, he had slowed the horse enough to bail out.
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
