white knight

noun

1. a hero who comes to the rescue.
2. a beleaguered champion who fights heroically for a cause, as in politics.
3. Informal. a company that comes to the rescue of another, as to prevent a takeover.

white knight

noun

1. a champion or rescuer, esp a person or organization that rescues a company from financial difficulties, an unwelcome takeover bid, etc

Word History and Origins

Origin of white knight¹

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

The internet is mistakenly blaming a Monroe impersonator, and Brentwood is hoping for a white knight.

From Los Angeles Times

In the final days before The Messenger shut down on Wednesday, less than a year after it began, the online news start-up was courting an unlikely white knight to make a last-minute rescue: The Los Angeles Times and its owner, the biotechnology billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong, Ben Mullin reports for DealBook.

From New York Times

Ironically, Sony was Zee’s white knight then and its merger deal helped calm down Invesco, which has since pared most of its stake in the Indian company.

From Seattle Times

The internet is mistakenly blaming a Monroe impersonator, and Brentwood is hoping for a white knight.

From Los Angeles Times

Farfetch, the beleaguered luxury e-commerce platform that has spent months teetering on the brink of bankruptcy, found its white knight: The retailer said Monday that Coupang, described as South Korea’s answer to Amazon, would acquire it for $500 million.

From New York Times

Related Words

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