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
Trump officials have also said that a public lands sell-off is not part of the president’s agenda. Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026 Other names linked to OpenAI also saw significant sell-offs, including cloud computing providers CoreWeave, down 6%, and Oracle, down 4%. Rob Wile, NBC news, 28 Apr. 2026
Verb
The bill would have allowed homeowners to split and sell off parts of their lots, largely without having to get approval from local officials. Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 1 May 2026 With no government bailout, Spirit is planning to sell off its planes and shut down, The Wall Street Journal reported. Chase Jordan may 1, Charlotte Observer, 1 May 2026 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 6 May. 2026.

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