as in to betray
to be unfaithful or disloyal to
the band sold out its faithful followers, abandoning its edgy style for a more commercial sound
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in betrayal
the act or fact of violating the trust or confidence of another
the sellout makes it much harder for me to trust you ever again
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sell (out)
Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 9 Feb. 2026
When Huskies head coach Dan Hurley called a timeout, a sellout crowd of 19,812 erupted with deafening glee.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 7 Feb. 2026
Fifteen thousand paying fans filled the stands — not a sellout, but more than enough energy to make the place feel alive.
—Jeff Miller, Rolling Stone, 6 Feb. 2026
Television broadcasts began in 1958, and sellout crowds were logged by 1965, thanks to the star power of Alabama quarterback Joe Namath.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 31 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sell (out)
Noun
The Bulls eventually collapsed in a 136-120 loss to the Nuggets before a sellout crowd of 20,939, but the start of the latest rebuild that can’t be called a rebuild was off to an interesting first step nonetheless.
—Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 9 Feb. 2026
When Huskies head coach Dan Hurley called a timeout, a sellout crowd of 19,812 erupted with deafening glee.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 7 Feb. 2026
Fifteen thousand paying fans filled the stands — not a sellout, but more than enough energy to make the place feel alive.
—Jeff Miller, Rolling Stone, 6 Feb. 2026
Television broadcasts began in 1958, and sellout crowds were logged by 1965, thanks to the star power of Alabama quarterback Joe Namath.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 31 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sell (out)
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sell (out)
Verb
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Its accounts of outsize personalities, judges’ infighting, culturally insensitive photo shoots, manipulative producing, network executives betraying producers who in turn betrayed talent—all of this comes standard with tales from the annals of the entertainment industry.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
18 Feb. 2026
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Perhaps the people who should resign are the representatives and senators at the state and national levels who have taken the same oath and betray it by turning a blind eye to the unconstitutional acts committed every day by a lawless regime.—
Letters to the Editor,
Hartford Courant,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Each day is a gamble of life and death, hope and betrayal; friendships run deep and can be shattered in an instant.—
Ashlee Conour,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Feb. 2026
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Based on Araminta Hall’s novel of the same name, the series explores a crime that shatters a decades-long friendship between three women, delving into guilt, retribution, love, betrayal and life-altering compromises.—
Kennedy French,
Variety,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Perfidy — from the French perfidie via the Latin perfidia — means deceitfulness, treachery or a breach of faith or promise.—
Harmeet Kaur,
CNN Money,
21 Jan. 2026
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But despite all this, not every Chelsea fan outside his family will regard this transfer as treachery.—
Simon Johnson,
New York Times,
17 Jan. 2026
Noun
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According to the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), investigators have opened more than 3,800 treason investigations since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, with more than 1,200 individuals already found guilty and sentenced.—
Daria Tarasova-Markina,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
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Her testimony also alleges that prosecutors blocked her from testifying in civilian court and that she was transferred to military jurisdiction, accused of crimes including treason, rebellion and terrorism.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sell (out).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sell%20%28out%29. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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