sell-by date

American  

[sel-bahy] / ˈsɛlˌbaɪ /

noun

1. the last date on which perishable food should be sold, usually established with some allowance for home storage under refrigeration.

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idioms

1. past one's / its sell-by date, past one's or its prime; past the period of greatest vigor, success, etc..

   an aging actress, well past her sell-by date.

sell-by date British  

noun

1. a date printed on the packaging of perishable goods, indicating the date after which the goods should not be offered for sale

2. informal beyond one's prime

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Etymology

Origin of sell-by date

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sell-by date

By common consent, this is a Celtic squad well past its sell-by date.

From BBC ● May 23, 2026

In an age when far too many politicians serve past their sell-by date, a leader who knows when to take a bow and go out with an encore is rare.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026

This is where cuts that are a few days shy of their sell-by date go to await a second act.

From Salon ● May 22, 2026

But what was once known as the Lieder recital — the German title for songs in a genre once dominated by Schubert, Schumann, Hugo Wolf and Richard Strauss — has approached its sell-by date.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 19, 2026

Another was the sell-by date argument beloved by Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

From Slate ● Oct. 18, 2025