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
Sentiment around the banks in Friday’s session also improved following Thursday’s sell-off. Zev Fima,kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 19 Oct. 2025 Debate and discourse have dominated headlines as to what specifically caused the recent dramatic sell-off in cryptoassets, but a few facts remain true. Sean Stein Smith, Forbes.com, 18 Oct. 2025
Verb
Some of Jones’s personal property is also being sold off as part of the bankruptcy case. Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025 Pound falls Regional defense stocks also sold off on Tuesday morning as investors assessed the possible impact of a rare earths supply bottleneck. Tasmin Lockwood,chloe Taylor,holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2025 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 22 Oct. 2025.

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