exit strategy

American  

[eg-zit strat-i-jee, ek-sit] / ˈɛg zɪt ˌstræt ɪ dʒi, ˈɛk sɪt /

noun

1. a plan for getting out of a difficult or unfavorable situation.

   committing troops without an exit strategy.

2. a plan that maximizes profits when liquidating investments or a business.

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exit strategy British  

noun

1. a method or plan for extricating oneself from an undesirable situation

2. a plan and timetable for withdrawal from a military engagement

3. the method by which an investor intends to cash out of an investment

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Etymology

Origin of exit strategy

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

The former defense department official who spoke with me expressed grave doubt about an exit strategy and listed “three main concerns.”

From Salon

But in unprompted remarks, he said the United States and Iran are not engaging in talks because their leaders “are all gone,” adding to the uncertainty about the war’s exit strategy.

From Los Angeles Times

He called the operations in Ecuador a “giant mess with no exit strategy.”

From Salon

On March 3, I asked Shulman why a recent press release had cited risks—including “Concentration Risk” and “Exit Strategy Risk”—that weren’t detailed in the ETF’s prospectus.

From The Wall Street Journal

“Tojo had led Japan into war on the basis of what had proved a patently faulty exit strategy,” Mr. Mauch concludes.

From The Wall Street Journal