sellout

1 of 2

noun

sell·​out ˈsel-ˌau̇t 

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

Synonyms of sellout

Noun

• betrayal
• treachery
• treason

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

Artists like John Lennon and Bob Dylan weren’t sellouts. —Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 7 Apr. 2026

The Hornets have experienced 23 sellouts this season, establishing a new mark in the uptown arena, and exceeded an average of 18,000 fans per game. —Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 6 Apr. 2026

Verb

Two Palms, one of New York’s top multiples printers, sold out an edition of 28 Cecily Brown etchings, priced at $7,500 each. —Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 14 Apr. 2026

That’s because concerts at Red Rocks and other venues sell out so quickly that promoter AEG Presents, which books the majority of large Denver concerts, can sell additional venues and multiply the value for artists of visiting our relatively isolated tour-routing hub, promoters have said. —John Wenzel, Denver Post, 14 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1859, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1796, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for sellout

• 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