sellout

1 of 2

noun

sell·​out ˈsel-ˌau̇t 

1

: the act or an instance of selling out

2

: something sold out

especially : something (such as a concert or contest) for which all tickets are sold

3

: one who sells out

sell out

2 of 2

verb

sold out; selling out; sells out

transitive verb

1

: to sell the goods of (a debtor) in order to satisfy creditors

2

: to sell security or commodity holdings of usually to satisfy an uncovered margin

3

a

: to sell all the available tickets for

sold out the concert

b

: to sell all of

the merchandise was quickly sold out

intransitive verb

1

: to dispose of one's goods by sale

especially : to sell one's business

2

: to betray one's cause or associates especially for personal gain

3

: to be or achieve a sellout

Synonyms

Noun

• backstabbing
• betrayal
• business
• disloyalty
• double cross
• faithlessness
• falseness
• falsity
• infidelity
• perfidy
• treachery
• treason
• two-timing
• unfaithfulness

Examples of sellout in a Sentence

Noun

The concert was a sellout.

The union sees the deal as a sellout.

Angry fans called him a sellout when he started appearing in television commercials.

Verb

the band sold out its faithful followers, abandoning its edgy style for a more commercial sound

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The sellout crowd — the first on Monday night in Denver since 2018 — didn’t know whether to roar or exhale. —Troy Renck, The Denver Post, 2 Dec. 2024

Few in the sellout crowd left their seats until well after the celebration — largely because the win was not certain to happen coming into a game that offered one of the league’s most intriguing playoff matchups in years. —Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 1 Dec. 2024

Verb

In the 10 locations where the film was presented in 70mm — the director’s preferred format — ticket sales were completely sold out, according to Imax. —Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 8 Dec. 2024

Before the show had opened, a number of the animals had sold out (there are only 500 in total, in various colorways). —Nick Remsen, Vogue, 6 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1859, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1796, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Kids Definition

sellout

1 of 2 noun

sell·​out ˈsel-ˌau̇t 

1

: the act or an instance of selling out

2

: a show, contest, or exhibition for which all seats are sold

sell out

2 of 2 verb

(ˈ)sel-ˈau̇t

: to dispose of all of one's goods by sale