sell-off

1 of 2

noun

ˈsel-ˌȯf How to pronounce sell-off (audio)
: a usually sudden sharp decline in security prices accompanied by increased volume of trading

sell off

2 of 2

verb

sold off; selling off; sells off

intransitive verb

: to suffer a drop in prices

Examples of sell-off in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Situational Awareness' collapse showed how vulnerable crowded, leveraged AI trades can be to the sharp sell-offs and rallies the sector has seen recently. — Hugh Leask, CNBC, 14 Aug. 2026 And the stock sell-off occurred even though Crocs also raised its yearly guidance. — Vicki M. Young, Footwear News, 14 Aug. 2026
Verb
David Tepper’s Appaloosa Management bet big on megacap technology stocks in the second quarter, while selling off former high-flying memory chip makers. — Alex Harring, CNBC, 14 Aug. 2026 Leaders across Europe, Asia and North America rejected the deal, accusing Infantino of trying to quietly sell off the sport's crown jewels. — Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 11 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sell-off

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1976, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1976, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sell-off was in 1976

Rhymes for sell-off

See All Rhymes for sell-off

Browse Nearby Words

selling race
sell-off
sell off
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sell-off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sell-off. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on sell-off

Nglish: Translation of sell-off for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of divulge

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Is “GIF” Pronounced “Jiff” or “Giff”?

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All