1
: a sale of property to the highest bidder
2
: the act or process of bidding in some card games
Examples of auction in a Sentence
Noun
She bought the desk at an auction.
He made several bids at the auction.
Verb
They auctioned a similar desk last year.
The house was auctioned last week.
Recent Examples on the Web
Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 6 Jan. 2025
Cyrus commemorated her pivotal year by purchasing the dress in an auction celebrating the fashion designer’s works.
—Catherine Santino, People.com, 6 Jan. 2025
Su-Jit Lin, Southern Living, 31 Dec. 2024
So over the years, governors have sought to goad federal officials into buying the lands by threatening to auction them off.
—CBS News, 28 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for auction 
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Noun
Three bond auctions this week are something to monitor.
—Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 6 Jan. 2025
Cyrus commemorated her pivotal year by purchasing the dress in an auction celebrating the fashion designer’s works.
—Catherine Santino, People.com, 6 Jan. 2025
Verb
In 2022, seven bulldogs were auctioned to support the Ruston Cultural District's arts, but, unlike other projects, all statues remain publicly accessible in new locations.
—Su-Jit Lin, Southern Living, 31 Dec. 2024
So over the years, governors have sought to goad federal officials into buying the lands by threatening to auction them off.
—CBS News, 28 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for auction
Dictionary Entries Near auction
Cite this Entry
“Auction.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/auction. Accessed 15 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
auction
1 of 2 noun
auc·tion
ˈȯk-shən 
: a sale at which things are sold to those who offer to pay the most
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