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

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 • Mar. 20, 2026

They would pay substantial fees, have no liquidity, and no apparent exit strategy.

From Barron's • Jan. 23, 2026

A highly-anticipated boom for initial public offerings offers an exit strategy for private-equity firms.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 28, 2025

If Ferguson was trying to explain Kissinger’s Vietnam exit strategy, he did not succeed; if he was trying to confuse the issue, he did.

From Salon • Nov. 1, 2025

Or worse—she’s been planning this getaway for months, and the postcards were part of her carefully plotted exit strategy.

From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller