ride out

get through a difficult time safely until things improve

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What does "ride sth out" mean?

To ride out a crisis, storm, or difficult period means to endure it and survive it without being seriously damaged, waiting for conditions to improve. The key implication is not just survival but emerging relatively intact — it carries a sense of resilience and strength rather than mere luck. The expression most naturally applies to organisations, governments, businesses, or professionals facing external pressures such as economic downturns, political controversy, or market instability. It derives from nautical and equestrian imagery of physically holding on through rough conditions, and this sense of active endurance — gripping on and pushing through — still shapes how the phrase is understood. You will encounter it most frequently in business journalism, financial reporting, and political commentary rather than casual conversation.

Examples

How to use it

ride out + [crisis/difficult period]

The most common structure, with a noun phrase naming the difficulty placed directly after 'out'. The unseparated form is strongly preferred, especially with longer or more abstract noun phrases.

The airline managed to ride out the financial crisis by cutting costs aggressively.

ride + it/this + out

When the object is a short pronoun like 'it' or 'this', separation is natural and very idiomatic — this is the most common separated form.

The markets are volatile right now, but most analysts believe investors simply need to ride it out.

be able to / manage to + ride out + [crisis]

Modal and semi-modal constructions are particularly natural, often framing the ability to endure as an achievement or open question.

Only the largest manufacturers were able to ride out the prolonged downturn in consumer demand.

fail to + ride out + [crisis]

The negative form is also common, used to describe entities that did not survive the difficult period intact.

Several regional banks failed to ride out the turbulence in the credit markets.

must / need to + ride out + [crisis]

Used to express that endurance is the required or only viable course of action.

The government knows it must ride out the controversy before calling a new election.

Common Collocations

the stormthe crisisthe recessionthe turbulencethe downturnthe pressure

Common Mistakes

Over-separating with long noun phrases

Separation works naturally only with short pronoun objects like 'it' or 'this'. Placing a long or abstract noun phrase between the verb and 'out' sounds unnatural and is best avoided.

✗ The company decided to ride the prolonged period of economic uncertainty out.
✓ The company decided to ride out the prolonged period of economic uncertainty.
Confusing 'ride out' with 'wait out'

'Wait out' simply means to wait passively until something ends, with no implication of strength or capability. 'Ride out' specifically implies resilience and emerging without serious damage — use it only when the sense of active endurance and successful survival is intended.

✗ The committee decided to wait out the recession by strengthening its reserves and diversifying.
✓ The committee decided to ride out the recession by strengthening its reserves and diversifying.
Using 'ride out' when the outcome is negative

'Ride out' implies that the subject successfully survives the difficulty intact. If the entity ultimately failed or suffered serious damage, this phrasal verb is the wrong choice — use 'go through' or 'face' instead.

✗ The firm rode out the crisis and eventually collapsed.
✓ The firm struggled through the crisis and eventually collapsed.

Usage

This is a formal phrasal verb most common in business, political, and news contexts. It implies not just surviving but emerging without serious damage, so avoid using it in situations where the outcome is negative.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can 'ride out' be used in the passive, like 'the crisis was ridden out'?

This is technically possible but sounds very unnatural in practice. The subject of 'ride out' is always the entity doing the enduring — a company, a government, a person — so switching the focus to the crisis itself creates an awkward sentence. It is best to keep it active.

Does 'ride out' always suggest a positive outcome?

Yes — unlike neutral verbs such as 'face' or 'go through', 'ride out' carries a strong implication that the subject survives without serious damage. If you are describing a situation where the outcome was negative or the entity ultimately failed, 'ride out' is not the right choice.

Can I use 'ride out' to describe personal emotional struggles?

It is possible but uncommon. 'Ride out' most naturally fits institutional or professional contexts — companies, governments, economies. Using it for personal emotional difficulties is not wrong, but it can sound slightly out of place; 'get through' tends to feel more natural in those situations.

Is 'ride out' too formal for everyday conversation?

It is predominantly used in formal and semi-formal contexts such as business journalism and political commentary. That said, the phrase 'just ride it out' is quite natural even in spoken conversation, especially when advising someone to be patient during a difficult period.

Why is 'ride out the storm' so common? Does it have a special meaning?

'Ride out the storm' has become so frequently used that it functions almost as a fixed expression in its own right. It is the single most common collocation for this phrasal verb and appears constantly in news and business writing. It carries no additional meaning beyond the core sense, but its frequency makes it the most instantly recognisable form.

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