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
As a result, the market is experiencing a significant sell-off. Becca Bratcher, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2025 Instead, multiple headwinds seem to be working in conjunction to cause the sell-off, including a reversal of technical factors that drove the previous rally. Lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 26 Feb. 2025
Verb
Markets slump on tariff fears Investors sold off U.S. stocks Tuesday, spooked by the tariffs’ effects on the economy. Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 5 Mar. 2025 That underlying tariff uncertainty was reflected on Wall Street, which saw a broad sell off, pushing the Dow Jones Industrial Average down 1.6 percent, or 670.25 points, to 42,520.99. Evan Clark, WWD, 4 Mar. 2025 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 10 Mar. 2025.

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