1
: a sale of property to the highest bidder
2
: the act or process of bidding in some card games
Examples of auction in a Sentence
Noun
She bought the desk at an auction.
He made several bids at the auction.
Verb
They auctioned a similar desk last year.
The house was auctioned last week.
Recent Examples on the Web
Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 10 June 2025
Momma gives it to Addy to honor her bravery, the same valor that her great-grandmother had possessed in surviving Middle Passage, the auction block, and life on the plantation.
—Jaha Nailah Avery
june 9, Literary Hub, 9 June 2025
Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 11 June 2025
Starting today, Sotheby’s will be auctioning off the signature sweater vest worn in the film by Matthew Broderick, who starred as the teenage slacker Ferris.
—Ryan P. C. Trimble, Chicago Tribune, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for auction
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Noun
And in Spain, Palazzo Delle Luce, an $18 million Mediterranean-style villa featured in Netflix’s The Crown, was snapped up at auction thanks to its palatial proportions and cinematic provenance.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 10 June 2025
Momma gives it to Addy to honor her bravery, the same valor that her great-grandmother had possessed in surviving Middle Passage, the auction block, and life on the plantation.
—Jaha Nailah Avery
june 9, Literary Hub, 9 June 2025
Verb
Porsche has teamed up with RM Sotheby’s to auction off a one-of-a-kind 911 GT3 RS with Weissach Package to celebrate the grand opening of the automaker’s new Experience Center in Toronto.
—Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 11 June 2025
Starting today, Sotheby’s will be auctioning off the signature sweater vest worn in the film by Matthew Broderick, who starred as the teenage slacker Ferris.
—Ryan P. C. Trimble, Chicago Tribune, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for auction
Cite this Entry
“Auction.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/auction. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
auction
1 of 2 noun
auc·tion
ˈȯk-shən 
: a sale at which things are sold to those who offer to pay the most
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