sold
ˈsōld 
; selling
; selling
1
: to deliver or give up in violation of duty, trust, or loyalty and especially for personal gain : betray
—often used with out
sell out their country
2
a(1)
: to give up (property) to another for something of value (such as money)
(2)
: to offer for sale
b
: to give up in return for something else especially foolishly or dishonorably
sold his birthright for a mess of pottage
c
: to exact a price for
sold their lives dearly
3
a
: to deliver into slavery for money
b
: to give into the power of another
sold his soul to the devil
c
: to deliver the personal services of for money
4
: to dispose of or manage for profit instead of in accordance with conscience, justice, or duty
sold their votes
5
a
: to develop a belief in the truth, value, or desirability of : gain acceptance for
trying to sell a program to the Congress
b
: to persuade or influence to a course of action or to the acceptance of something
sell children on reading
6
: to impose on : cheat
7
a
: to cause or promote the sale of
using television advertising to sell cereal
b
: to make or attempt to make sales to
c
: to influence or induce to make a purchase
8
: to achieve a sale of
sold a million copies
1
: to dispose of something by sale
thinks now is a good time to sell
2
: to achieve a sale
also
: to achieve satisfactory sales
hoped that the new line would sell
3
: to have a specified price
sell
4 of 4chiefly Scottish variant of self
Examples of sell in a Sentence
Verb
He buys and remodels houses and then sells them at a profit.
Stock prices are increasing, so now is a good time to sell.
Only a few stores sell that type of equipment.
Recent Examples on the Web
Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 29 Apr. 2025
Zandi said global investors can be expected to sell stocks and bonds in the days ahead on concerns that that Fed independence could be impaired, which would ultimately drive up prices and lead to higher inflation.
—Susan Tompor, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2025
Bernhard Warner, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2025
Seaport initiates Nvidia at sell Seaport initiated research coverage on Nvidia with a sell on Wednesday, seeing several negative catalysts.
—Michael Bloom, CNBC, 30 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sell
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Verb
The mint julep became the event’s official drink in 1939, when racetrack managers began selling the glasses the drinks were served in as souvenirs.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 29 Apr. 2025
Zandi said global investors can be expected to sell stocks and bonds in the days ahead on concerns that that Fed independence could be impaired, which would ultimately drive up prices and lead to higher inflation.
—Susan Tompor, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2025
Noun
Such an ask would have been an extremely tough sell when the Francis papacy began.
—Bernhard Warner, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2025
Seaport initiates Nvidia at sell Seaport initiated research coverage on Nvidia with a sell on Wednesday, seeing several negative catalysts.
—Michael Bloom, CNBC, 30 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sell
Cite this Entry
“Sell.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sell. Accessed 7 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share