loss leader

American  

noun

1. a popular article that is sold at a very low price or at a loss for the purpose of attracting customers to a retail store.

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loss leader British  

noun

1. an article offered below cost in the hope that customers attracted by it will buy other goods

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Other Word Forms

• loss-leading
  adjective

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Etymology

Origin of loss leader

First recorded in 1920–25

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

loss leader

The supermarkets that usually sell gasoline as a loss leader to pull in customers are also furious.

From Barron's ● Sep. 16, 2026

Yesterday’s loss leader, the Dow industrials, notched a gain of 0.7%, or 385 points.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026

Experts told the Pepperoni team it was a loss leader; only supermarkets could turn a profit by bringing in bananas from South America.

From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2024

A loss leader and a billboard food for nearly every casino on the Strip, prime rib became the perfect dish for a town branding itself as the vacationland of middle-class luxury.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 25, 2023

I just have to write the truck off as a short-term loss leader, because when it comes down to it, I’m no longer in a position to negotiate.

From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman

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