sell-off

1 of 2

noun

ˈsel-ˌȯf 

: 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

Noun

Shares of the coffee chain are still up about 11% this year, but have fallen 14% since late August, coinciding with a broader sell-off in consumer stocks as higher gas prices raise concerns about household spending. — Alexa Lomonaco, CNBC, 24 Sep. 2026

Thursday’s action follows a steep bond sell-off Wednesday after new data from S&P Global showed robust US business activity in September but hot inflation from higher energy prices. — John Towfighi, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2026

Verb

His wife eventually died of tuberculosis, and a brokenhearted Vroman, a bibliophile, sold off a chunk of his vast book collection to collect capital to open the store. — Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026

The Nasdaq Composite index sold off by 1% on Wednesday, while the S & P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average also struggled. — Fred Imbert, CNBC, 24 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1976, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1976, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for sell-off

• ashraf
• checkoff
• cutoff
• falloff
• handoff
• kickoff
• layoff
• liftoff
• markoff
• markov
• payoff
• playoff