liquidate
verb
liq·ui·date
ˈli-kwə-ˌdāt 
liquidated; liquidating
1
a(1)
: to determine by agreement or by litigation the precise amount of (indebtedness, damages, or accounts)
(2)
: to determine the liabilities (see liability sense 2) and apportion assets toward discharging the indebtedness of
b
: to settle (a debt) by payment or other settlement
liquidate a loan
2
archaic
: to make clear
3
: to do away with especially by killing
was hired to liquidate a certain businessman
4
: to convert (assets) into cash
liquidated his securities
1
: to liquidate debts, damages, or accounts
2
: to determine liabilities (see liability sense 2) and apportion assets toward discharging indebtedness
Synonyms
Examples of liquidate in a Sentence
The owners were ordered to liquidate the company and pay their creditors.
The company is liquidating its assets.
The owners were ordered to liquidate.
The film is about a professional killer who's hired to liquidate a powerful businessman.
Recent Examples on the Web
Far-right conspiracy theorist and InfoWars owner Alex Jones on Thursday took steps to liquidate his assets in order to pay legal damages owed to victims of the 2012 Sandy Hook school massacre.
—
Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 7 June 2024
The Infowars conspiracy theorist Alex Jones is seeking permission from a bankruptcy court to liquidate his personal assets and deliver the proceeds to the Sandy Hook families who are owed more than $1.4 billion in damages for his lies about the 2012 school shooting.
—Elizabeth Williamson, New York Times, 7 June 2024
Bed Bath & Beyond, led by women execs through its tumultuous decline, was liquidated, its brand sold to Overstock.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 4 June 2024
Similarly, nearly half of respondents who had heard of Memorial in December 2021 thought it was being liquidated for political reasons.
—Daniel Treisman, Foreign Affairs, 6 Apr. 2022
See all Example Sentences for liquidate 
Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 7 June 2024
The Infowars conspiracy theorist Alex Jones is seeking permission from a bankruptcy court to liquidate his personal assets and deliver the proceeds to the Sandy Hook families who are owed more than $1.4 billion in damages for his lies about the 2012 school shooting.
—Elizabeth Williamson, New York Times, 7 June 2024
Bed Bath & Beyond, led by women execs through its tumultuous decline, was liquidated, its brand sold to Overstock.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 4 June 2024
Similarly, nearly half of respondents who had heard of Memorial in December 2021 thought it was being liquidated for political reasons.
—Daniel Treisman, Foreign Affairs, 6 Apr. 2022
See all Example Sentences for liquidate
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'liquidate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near liquidate
Cite this Entry
“Liquidate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/liquidate. Accessed 15 Jun. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
liquidate
verb
liq·ui·date
ˈlik-wə-ˌdāt
liquidated; liquidating
1
: pay off sense 1
liquidate a debt
2
: to put an end to : do away with
Legal Definition
liquidate
verb
liq·ui·date
ˈli-kwə-ˌdāt
liquidated; liquidating
1
: to determine by agreement or litigation the precise amount of
also
: to settle (a debt) by payment or other adjustment
2
a
: to determine the liabilities and apportion the assets of especially in bankruptcy or dissolution
liquidate a corporation
compare bankruptcy
b
: to convert (as assets) into cash
liquidate an estate
: to liquidate something (as a corporation)
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