liquidate
verb
liq·ui·date
ˈli-kwə-ˌdāt 
liquidated; liquidating
1
a(1)
: to determine by agreement or by litigation the precise amount of (indebtedness, damages, or accounts)
(2)
: to determine the liabilities (see liability sense 2) and apportion assets toward discharging the indebtedness of
b
: to settle (a debt) by payment or other settlement
liquidate a loan
2
archaic
: to make clear
3
: to do away with especially by killing
was hired to liquidate a certain businessman
4
: to convert (assets) into cash
liquidated his securities
1
: to liquidate debts, damages, or accounts
2
: to determine liabilities (see liability sense 2) and apportion assets toward discharging indebtedness
Synonyms
Examples of liquidate in a Sentence
The owners were ordered to liquidate the company and pay their creditors.
The company is liquidating its assets.
The owners were ordered to liquidate.
The film is about a professional killer who's hired to liquidate a powerful businessman.
Recent Examples on the Web
Accusations started flying, with many crypto observers alleging that $HAWK was a pump-and-dump scheme, or a rug pull — when developers build hype for a crypto project to raise money only to liquidate their position and walk away, with others left holding worthless tokens.
—
Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 5 Dec. 2024
Jones’s assets are now being liquidated, including Infowars, his right-wing conspiracy website.
—Zach Schonfeld, The Hill, 27 Nov. 2024
Jones declared bankruptcy and liquidated his assets after he was ordered to pay nearly $1.5 billion to relatives of victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Connecticut.
—Dave Collins, Fortune, 26 Nov. 2024
In the spring, residents met with a bankruptcy attorney to discuss future options for how to liquidate the co-op’s assets to solve some of its financial problems, with the only assets being the property’s 63 buildings, according to Wilson.
—Lizzie Kane, Chicago Tribune, 18 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for liquidate 
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.
Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 5 Dec. 2024
Jones’s assets are now being liquidated, including Infowars, his right-wing conspiracy website.
—Zach Schonfeld, The Hill, 27 Nov. 2024
Jones declared bankruptcy and liquidated his assets after he was ordered to pay nearly $1.5 billion to relatives of victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Connecticut.
—Dave Collins, Fortune, 26 Nov. 2024
In the spring, residents met with a bankruptcy attorney to discuss future options for how to liquidate the co-op’s assets to solve some of its financial problems, with the only assets being the property’s 63 buildings, according to Wilson.
—Lizzie Kane, Chicago Tribune, 18 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for liquidate
Dictionary Entries Near liquidate
Cite this Entry
“Liquidate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/liquidate. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
liquidate
verb
liq·ui·date
ˈlik-wə-ˌdāt
liquidated; liquidating
1
: pay off sense 1
liquidate a debt
2
: to put an end to : do away with
Legal Definition
liquidate
verb
liq·ui·date
ˈli-kwə-ˌdāt
liquidated; liquidating
1
: to determine by agreement or litigation the precise amount of
also
: to settle (a debt) by payment or other adjustment
2
a
: to determine the liabilities and apportion the assets of especially in bankruptcy or dissolution
liquidate a corporation
compare bankruptcy
b
: to convert (as assets) into cash
liquidate an estate
: to liquidate something (as a corporation)
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share