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Synonyms

bankroll

American  
[bangk-rohl] / ˈbæŋkˌroʊl /

noun

  1. money in one's possession; monetary resources.

verb (used with object)

  1. Informal. to finance; provide funds for.

    to bankroll a new play.
bankroll British  
/ ˈbæŋkˌrəʊl /

noun

  1. a roll of currency notes

  2. the financial resources of a person, organization, etc

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. slang (tr) to provide the capital for; finance

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • bankroller noun

Etymology

Origin of bankroll

First recorded in 1885–90; bank 2 + roll

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.

Big Tech has the balance sheets and the electricity addiction to bankroll what the U.S. government has spent 50 years failing to do.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 26, 2026

It also matters because Ellison could bankroll his son’s media deals largely thanks to Oracle’s soaring stock.

From Slate • Mar. 20, 2026

Mahan has already elicited early support among wealthy venture capitalists and tech industry leaders, who would be able to bankroll a formidable campaign.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 29, 2026

Earlier this year Musk ally Antonio Gracias used his investment firm Valor Equity Partners to indirectly bankroll the chips.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 11, 2025

With this bankroll, he was able to purchase and outfit a three-masted, coal-powered barkentine called Polaris from a Norwegian firm that specialized in polar vessels.

From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong

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.