sell-off

1 of 2

noun

: a usually sudden sharp decline in security prices accompanied by increased volume of trading

sell off

2 of 2

verb

sold off; selling off; sells off

intransitive verb

: to suffer a drop in prices

Examples of sell-off in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Noun
Before this latest sell-off, memory stocks were some of the best performers in the market this year, with Sandisk almost tripling, up 170%, and Micron rising more than 40%. Yun Li, CNBC, 27 Mar. 2026 In the past, sell-offs in Treasurys have prompted the White House to reconsider some policies. Christopher Cann, USA Today, 25 Mar. 2026
Verb
Stocks including former leaders Micron Technology and Sandisk started selling off at the end of last week, but losses accelerated this week after Google unveiled a new compression technique , dubbed TurboQuant, that could cut memory requirements for AI large language models sixfold. Yun Li, CNBC, 27 Mar. 2026 Bosco agreed in theory to a receiver limited to helping sell off the business. Paul Flahive, Austin American Statesman, 27 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sell-off

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1976, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1976, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sell-off was in 1976

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sell-off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sell-off. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.

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