sell
verb (used with object)
to transfer (goods) to or render (services) for another in exchange for money; dispose of to a purchaser for a price.
had sold
-
past perfectof sell.past perfect
Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
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.
Stocks had sold off while yields jumped following the Fed’s rate decision Wednesday, with Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh warning that inflation remains “too high and has been for too long.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
The elder son had sold off many of the Kushners’ New Jersey holdings and then, in 2007, paid a record $1.8 billion for a Manhattan office tower just before the financial crisis hit.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026
Specialist glasses had sold out at many retailers, including those recommended by UK health officials, with Royal Museums Greenwich citing an "unprecedented volume" of demand.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
Department of Agriculture that livestock had been inhumanely slaughtered during a May event at Shahnawaz Ranch for the Muslim holiday Eid al-Adha, and that the operation had sold the meat without required federal inspection.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026
Well, here it was almost two o’clock, and I had sold exactly one hot dog.
From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole
