garage sale

American

noun

a sale of used or unwanted household goods, personal items, bric-a-brac, etc., typically held in one's garage or yard.

garage sale British

noun

a sale of personal belongings or household effects held at a person's home, usually in the garage

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of garage sale

An Americanism dating back to 1960–65

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.

Chin began skating at age 8 after her mother, Marjorie, bought her a pair of skates at a garage sale.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 1, 2026

Families and couples of a certain age might even haul out grandma’s treasured china and give it a good dusting — that is, if you didn’t offload it at a garage sale or eBay.

From Salon • Nov. 1, 2025

Alas, Mom unloaded my mint-condition Barbie treasures, and Patty’s, at a garage sale.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 18, 2023

Mr. Nuanes had been at Mr. Logue’s home for a garage sale when the sinkhole was spotted.

From New York Times • Jun. 27, 2023

As he dressed, I scanned the classifieds in the local papers and circled the garage sale ads.

From "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023