fire sale
Americannoun
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a special sale of merchandise actually or supposedly damaged by fire.
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a sale, as of assets, at reduced prices, in order to raise money quickly.
noun
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a sale of goods at reduced prices after a fire at a shop or factory
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any instance of offering goods or assets at greatly reduced prices to ensure a quick sale
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( as modifier )
fire-sale prices
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Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of fire sale
An Americanism dating back to 1890–95
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Even if I distributed the proceeds from a fire sale to them, our staff would struggle.
From MarketWatch • Feb. 10, 2026
A sudden loss of faith in a stablecoins could see them cashed in all at once, prompting a "fire sale" of their reserve assets that "could affect the functioning of US Treasury markets", they wrote.
From Barron's • Nov. 24, 2025
“The art collection is probably worth more than what the building is,” said McKechnie, who added that a fire sale isn’t a sustainable solution for the club’s financial woes.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 22, 2025
Kashif Shabir was a successful property developer who agreed a £3m loan with Lloyds but claims he was pushed by the bank into what he calls a "fire sale" of his assets after the crash.
From BBC • Apr. 7, 2025
It was sufficiently near, however, for a fire sale.
From The Wit and Humor of America, Volume VII. (of X.) by Wilder, Marshall Pinckney
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
