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
Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 10 Jan. 2026
The proposal also lays out how to spend money from California’s signature cap-and-trade program, which sets limits on greenhouse gas emissions and allows large polluters to buy and sell unused emission allowances at quarterly auctions.
—Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2026
Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 3 Jan. 2026
The Panthers — a few hours before their Winter Classic outdoor game at the Miami Marlins’ ballpark against the New York Rangers — unveiled a couple dozen panther sculptures, all painted in a unique way and now being auctioned off with hopes of raising $1 million for cancer research.
—Tim Reynolds, Sun Sentinel, 2 Jan. 2026
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Noun
The tax collector of the town of Granby has slated them for public auction to satisfy delinquent taxes and charges under state law, according to the town.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 10 Jan. 2026
The proposal also lays out how to spend money from California’s signature cap-and-trade program, which sets limits on greenhouse gas emissions and allows large polluters to buy and sell unused emission allowances at quarterly auctions.
—Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2026
Verb
The panther statues are being auctioned through Charitybuzz.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 3 Jan. 2026
The Panthers — a few hours before their Winter Classic outdoor game at the Miami Marlins’ ballpark against the New York Rangers — unveiled a couple dozen panther sculptures, all painted in a unique way and now being auctioned off with hopes of raising $1 million for cancer research.
—Tim Reynolds, Sun Sentinel, 2 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for auction
Cite this Entry
“Auction.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/auction. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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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