sellout

1 of 2

noun

sell·​out ˈsel-ˌau̇t 

1

: the act or an instance of selling out

2

: something sold out

especially : something (such as a concert or contest) for which all tickets are sold

3

: one who sells out

sell out

2 of 2

verb

sold out; selling out; sells out

transitive verb

1

: to sell the goods of (a debtor) in order to satisfy creditors

2

: to sell security or commodity holdings of usually to satisfy an uncovered margin

3

a

: to sell all the available tickets for

sold out the concert

b

: to sell all of

the merchandise was quickly sold out

intransitive verb

1

: to dispose of one's goods by sale

especially : to sell one's business

2

: to betray one's cause or associates especially for personal gain

3

: to be or achieve a sellout

Synonyms of sellout

Noun

• betrayal
• treachery
• treason

Examples of sellout in a Sentence

Noun

The concert was a sellout.

The union sees the deal as a sellout.

Angry fans called him a sellout when he started appearing in television commercials.

Verb

the band sold out its faithful followers, abandoning its edgy style for a more commercial sound

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The Oasis tour itself has been one of the major Australian live music stories of 2025, prompting rapid sellouts across multiple cities and adding extra dates to meet demand. —Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 24 Nov. 2025

Questionable Sharks line changes led to both the game-tying and go-ahead goals by the Senators, who earned a come-from-behind 3-2 win before a sellout crowd of 17,435 at SAP Center. —Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 23 Nov. 2025

Verb

The collaboration between popular streetwear designer Salehe Bembury, the New York Knicks, and Mitchell & Ness has officially hit the open market, after selling out during the original release. —Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2025

The club could create a structure that lets some socios sell out of their ownership. —Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 21 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1859, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1796, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for sellout

• about
• bailout
• blackout
• blowout
• breakout
• burnout
• buyout
• checkout
• closeout
• cutout
• devout
• dropout

Kids Definition

sellout

1 of 2 noun

sell·​out ˈsel-ˌau̇t 

1

: the act or an instance of selling out

2

: a show, contest, or exhibition for which all seats are sold

sell out

2 of 2 verb

(ˈ)sel-ˈau̇t

: to dispose of all of one's goods by sale