sell-by date

noun

ˈsel-ˌbī- 

: a date printed on food packages showing the last day on which the food can be sold

—sometimes used figuratively

a theory that has passed its sell-by date [=an outdated theory]

Examples of sell-by date in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Notices typically list the brand, product name and package size, along with UPCs, lot or batch codes, best-by, use-by or sell-by dates and where the product was sold. — Ryan Brennan, Sacbee.com, 4 Nov. 2026

Some of the cheese sticks had started to become moldy and were past the sell-by date. — Arkansas Online, 2 Nov. 2026

LinkedIn pointed to a Kraft Heinz researcher who posts about her job tasting food past its sell-by date as an example of the kind of job-in-action content people are hooked on. — Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2026

In the fickle economy of online fame, the Tates’ total saturation had an inevitable sell-by date. — Dan Adler, Vanity Fair, 29 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1971, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for sell-by date

• abdicate
• abrogate
• acetate
• activate
• actuate
• aggravate
• agitate
• alginate
• alienate
• allocate
• amputate
• angulate