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.
It’s still a $4 trillion company even with the fire sale, but its financing arrangements are propping up a lot of the AI platforms.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 11, 2026
The fire sale has already started in Indianapolis, where the Colts have traded Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026
Aschenbrenner’s fund had about $45 billion before its plunge and fire sale.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
The thinking is that those provisions protect the fund’s remaining investors from a rush to the exits that would force managers to sell underlying securities at fire sale prices.
From Barron's ● Apr. 3, 2026
Mary Mendana, wife of the Portuguese Consul, remembered her with a five-dollar box of candy and a mandarin coat that would have fetched three-quarters of a hundred dollars at a fire sale.
From On the Makaloa Mat by Jack London
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
