sell out

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 sell out in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples on the Web

Boxed out of the free watch party at Bryant Park that some attendees said sold out in one minute, a handful of fans are watching together on a tablet. —Andrew Greif, NBC news, 9 June 2026

The demand has been so intense that Flight Club regularly sells out of the item at more than four times the face value. —Justin Birnbaum, Sportico.com, 8 June 2026

Race registration was sold out as of this past weekend, but a waitlist is available for interested runners if space opens up. —Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 8 June 2026

Tours and events featuring scientists and artists typically sell out. —The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 8 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1796, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for sell out

• 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