sellout

1 of 2

noun

sell·​out ˈsel-ˌau̇t How to pronounce sellout (audio)
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

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
Saturday’s game was a sellout with 9,342 in attendance. Kirk Kern, The Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2024 The Hall of Fame coach celebrated his 69th birthday in style Tuesday night, surrounded by a raucous sellout crowd at Breslin Center, urging Michigan State basketball to ensure Izzo a cherished gift. Chris Solari, Detroit Free Press, 31 Jan. 2024 Along with the announced sellouts, Tuesday’s game marked the 11th time in 30 home games that the Sharks have announced a crowd of less than 11,000. Curtis Pashelka, The Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2024 The 39th consecutive sellout Mancini’s St. Paul Sports Hall of Fame banquet will be May 13 at the Char House. Charley Walters, Twin Cities, 27 Jan. 2024 Jagr himself joined in, flipping pucks into an empty net before doing one final lap as the sellout crowd — many of them wearing a jersey from one of Jagr's various stops — gave him one last ovation 23 years in the making. Will Graves, USA TODAY, 19 Feb. 2024 Students camped out in front of Halton Arena before a game against East Carolina earlier this month, a game which became the school’s first sellout in 11 years. Langston Wertz Jr., Charlotte Observer, 12 Feb. 2024 An upset of the conference-leading Tar Heels on ESPN Saturday in front of a sellout crowd would certainly help their resume and make national headlines. Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 9 Feb. 2024 Every Iowa true road game this season has been a sellout. Taylor Lyons, Baltimore Sun, 4 Feb. 2024
Verb
Coming up, the company has comedy My Old Ass, which sold out of the Sundance Film Festival to MGM Amazon. Mia Galuppo, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Mar. 2024 Some customers noted longer wait times as well, up to 30 minutes in some cases, as well as locations that have sold out or are not currently selling them at all. USA TODAY, 19 Mar. 2024 The sale ends on Thursday, March 21 at 11 a.m. ET — and styles are sure to sell out fast. Kayla Blanton, Peoplemag, 18 Mar. 2024 But as the convention approaches, with McGovern in the lead though not with enough delegates to put him over the top, Chisholm tries to rally the Black delegates not to sell out their vote; several of the candidates pledge the release of their Black delegates to her. Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 16 Mar. 2024 However, just like the elevated incense and holiday body butter, the Elevate fragrance is an exclusive which means it is limited to only 300 bottles before selling out. India Espy-Jones, Essence, 15 Mar. 2024 Meet the Elite 8 hamburger joints and vote on the best Steakhouse to brunch: Here are the best restaurants in metro Phoenix, according to readers Immersive music festival's return to Arcosanti sells out in 72 hours. Ed Masley, The Arizona Republic, 15 Mar. 2024 Is the Oliva Rodrigo concert sold out? Tickets to the Olivia Rodrigo concert in Columbus on March 22 are sold out on Ticketmaster. The Enquirer, 15 Mar. 2024 The Big Ten women's basketball tournament sold out for the first time earlier this year. Neda Ulaby, NPR, 8 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sellout.' 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

Noun

1859, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1796, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of sellout was in 1796

Dictionary Entries Near sellout

Cite this Entry

“Sellout.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sellout. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

sellout

1 of 2 noun
sell·​out ˈsel-ˌau̇t How to pronounce sellout (audio)
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
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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