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
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
The company paid $283 million to clients who were liquidated because of de-pegged collateral, a decisive move to make affected traders whole.
—
Lyssanoel Frater, Freep.com, 25 Nov. 2025
Traders who used leverage to make crypto bets would need to liquidate positions in the event of margin calls.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 22 Nov. 2025
But if an asset tumbles and the investor can't meet the margin requirements, the trading platform may automatically liquidate the position, which leads to more selling and downward pressure on its price.
—Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 21 Nov. 2025
The downturn has been driven by a wave of selling in recent weeks, amplified by roughly $2 billion in leveraged positions liquidated in the past 24 hours, Bloomberg reported, citing data from CoinGlass.
—Alia Shoaib, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for liquidate
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Lyssanoel Frater, Freep.com, 25 Nov. 2025
Traders who used leverage to make crypto bets would need to liquidate positions in the event of margin calls.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 22 Nov. 2025
But if an asset tumbles and the investor can't meet the margin requirements, the trading platform may automatically liquidate the position, which leads to more selling and downward pressure on its price.
—Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 21 Nov. 2025
The downturn has been driven by a wave of selling in recent weeks, amplified by roughly $2 billion in leveraged positions liquidated in the past 24 hours, Bloomberg reported, citing data from CoinGlass.
—Alia Shoaib, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for liquidate
Cite this Entry
“Liquidate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/liquidate. Accessed 29 Nov. 2025.
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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