tide the company over

Meaning

This expression means to provide a business with enough money, resources, or support to help it survive a temporary period of difficulty, shortage, or transition until a more permanent solution is found. It acts as a bridge to get through a tough phase.

Examples

• We secured a short-term bank loan to tide the company over until our clients pay their outstanding invoices.

  We secured a short-term bank loan to tide the company over until our clients pay their outstanding invoices.

• The government grant was just enough to tide the company over during the economic lockdown.

  The government grant was just enough to tide the company over during the economic lockdown.

• A bridge loan helped tide the company over until the venture capital funding was finalized.

  A bridge loan helped tide the company over until the venture capital funding was finalized.

• We might need to cut discretionary spending to tide the company over this slow winter season.

  We might need to cut discretionary spending to tide the company over this slow winter season.

• These emergency reserves are meant to tide the company over in the event of a sudden market crash.

  These emergency reserves are meant to tide the company over in the event of a sudden market crash.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ This money will tide over the company.

  ✓ This money will tide the company over.

  When using 'tide over' with a pronoun or a specific noun phrase like 'the company,' the object must go between 'tide' and 'over' (it is a separable phrasal verb).

• ✗ The new long-term investment will tide the company over for the next twenty years.

  ✓ The investment will secure the company's future for the next twenty years.

  'Tide over' is strictly used for temporary assistance during a short-term crisis or transition, not permanent, long-term security.

Related Expressions

Practice

• We need a temporary line of credit to ___________ until the peak sales season begins in Q4.

  💡 Help the business survive a short-term dry spell.

  Show answer

  tide the company over

• The owner injected some of his personal savings to ___________ during the transition.

  💡 Provide temporary financial relief to the business.

  Show answer

  tide the company over