sell-by date

noun

|Updated on: 6 Jul 2018

Definition of sell-by date

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a theory that has passed its sell-by date [=an outdated theory]

See sell-by date defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of sell-by date from the Web

Be sure to check the packaging date, not the sell-by date.

— sarah fritsche, SFChronicle.com, "Outerlands’ Salad With Burrata, Strawberries & Fennel," 29 June 2018
Fiat Chrysler and Ford management are notorious for keeping vehicles in production after the sell-by date for their underlying structure.

— mark phelan, Detroit Free Press, "Why the Ford Explorer and Jeep Grand Cherokee flunked their crash tests," 12 June 2018
The broccoli has a sell-by date of March 15, 2020 and a UPC code of 68826700926.

— lindsey murray, Good Housekeeping, "Frozen Broccoli Sold at Shop & Stop, Giant, and More Recalled Due to Listeria Risk," 24 May 2018
Community's enthusiastic fanbase kept it afloat for years beyond its sell-by date, firing its showrunner then rehiring him after an especially rancid fourth season.

— tom philip, GQ, "Just Let Great TV Shows Die With Dignity," 17 May 2018
The products carry a sell-by date of April 9, 2018 and a USDA mark with the number EST.

— mike snider, USA TODAY, "Kroger ground beef among 35,000 pounds recalled for potential plastic bits," 3 May 2018
The lot code and sell-by date can be found on a sticker on the side of the package.

— lindsey lanquist, SELF, "Trader Joe’s Just Recalled Its Chocolate Chip Cookies in 12 States," 20 Mar. 2018
For consumers who still have a bag squirreled away in cabinets or freezers, Bob's Red Mill has recalled 22-ounce bags of Amaranth Flour with an expired sell-by date of Nov. 26, 2015.

— debbi snook, cleveland.com, "Bob's Red Mill recalls expired Amaranth flour for possible contamination (photo, product codes)," 9 Apr. 2018
But as with many of our deals, the sell-by date is two days, max.

— bridget hallinan, Condé Nast Traveler, "Flight Deal: U.S. to Hong Kong from $550 Round-Trip," 6 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sell-by date.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.