bail out
To rescue someone from trouble (often financial or legal), or to leave an aircraft by parachute; also to remove water from a boat.
From the nautical verb “to bail,” meaning to scoop water out of a boat with a bucket (“bailer”) to prevent sinking. The ‘rescue’ sense broadened to helping in trouble; aviation later adopted ‘bail out’ for emergency parachute escape.
Often implies rescuing someone from a bad situation, especially financial trouble. Can carry a negative “saving them from consequences” nuance. Also used literally for parachuting or scooping water from a boat.
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My parents had to bail me out after I lost my wallet on vacation.
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The government stepped in to bail out the airline when it was close to bankruptcy.
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Can you bail out of the meeting early? I have another appointment.
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We bailed out of the road trip when the weather report turned ugly.
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She bailed out her friend by lending him enough money to cover the rent.
Verb phrase: bail out + person/organization (The government bailed out the bank). Can be reflexive/intransitive: bail out (We can’t bail out now). Aviation: bail out of the plane. Past: bailed out; noun: bailout.
- rescue
- save
- help out
- give (someone) a lifeline
- extricate
- bail (someone) out
- abandon
- leave in the lurch
- let (someone) fend for themselves