fire-sale

1 of 2

adjective

: heavily discounted
fire-sale prices

fire sale

2 of 2

noun

: a sale of merchandise damaged in a fire
also : a sale at very low prices

Example Sentences

Noun The company is having a fire sale of its old office equipment.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Hefty taxes, inflation and regulatory costs weigh on bottom lines, and a glut pushed wholesale prices to fire-sale levels. Gene Johnson, Fortune, 19 Apr. 2023 How the merger, with a fire-sale price of 3 billion Swiss francs ($3.25 billion), will play out and its impact on worldwide finance are largely unknown. Jamey Keaten And Courtney Bonnell, BostonGlobe.com, 22 Mar. 2023 Investment bankers and private equity executives will have a bonanza acquiring distressed assets from failing banks and acquiring ailing financial institutions and fire-sale prices. Jack Kelly, Forbes, 16 Mar. 2023
Noun
So, for now, there is no need for a fire sale. Ira Winderman, sun-sentinel.com, 28 Dec. 2021 This wasn’t a fire sale. Greg Jefferson, San Antonio Express-News, 25 June 2021 Frank Reich got Wentz in a Philly fire sale. Star Tribune, 24 Apr. 2021 That’s why the Spurs are not having a fire sale. Mike Finger, ExpressNews.com, 19 Nov. 2020 Mortgage rates reversed course in mid-March after several U.S. bank collapses and the fire sale of Credit Suisse Group to UBS Group raised concerns about the health of the financial system. Gina Heeb, WSJ, 23 Mar. 2023 Such fire sales are what caused Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse. Christopher Rugaber, BostonGlobe.com, 13 Mar. 2023 Rising interest rates have lowered prices for bonds, which contributed to the squeeze at SVB—a fire sale of the bank’s bond portfolio created losses, triggering a sudden outflow of deposits in a classic run on the bank. Heather Landy, Quartz, 12 Mar. 2023 By Friday morning, SVB’s parent company was reported to be seeking a fire sale of the bank after failing to find any last-minute capital to prop it up, as first reported by CNBC. Tristan Bove, Fortune, 10 Mar. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fire-sale.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1953, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1830, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fire-sale was in 1830

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Dictionary Entries Near fire-sale

Cite this Entry

“Fire-sale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fire-sale. Accessed 30 May. 2023.

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