fire sale
Americannoun
-
a special sale of merchandise actually or supposedly damaged by fire.
-
a sale, as of assets, at reduced prices, in order to raise money quickly.
noun
-
a sale of goods at reduced prices after a fire at a shop or factory
-
-
any instance of offering goods or assets at greatly reduced prices to ensure a quick sale
-
( as modifier )
fire-sale prices
-
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.
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
Even if I distributed the proceeds from a fire sale to them, our staff would struggle.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 10, 2026
“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
He said that, "with a start date of May 2026, we are now set for a six-month fire sale with tenants forced out at short notice".
From BBC ● Nov. 13, 2025
Well, after we had disposed of the fire sale question, we brought up the matter of whether we should, or should not, sell toys at Christmas time.
From Dawson Black: Retail Merchant by Whitehead, Harold
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.
