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• sell-off
  sell-off

  noun

  a sudden and marked decline in stock or bond prices resulting from widespread selling.
• sell off
  sell off

  verb

  (tr, adverb) to sell (remaining or unprofitable items), esp at low prices

sell-off

American  

[sel-awf, -of] / ˈsɛlˌɔf, -ˌɒf /

Sometimes selling-off

noun

1. Stock Exchange. a sudden and marked decline in stock or bond prices resulting from widespread selling.

2. an act or instance of liquidating assets or subsidiaries, as by divestiture.

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sell off British  

verb

1. (tr, adverb) to sell (remaining or unprofitable items), esp at low prices

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sell off Idioms  

1. Get rid of by selling, often at reduced prices. For example, The jeweler was eager to sell off the last of the diamond rings. [c. 1700] Also see sell out, def. 1.

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Etymology

Origin of sell-off

First recorded in 1935–40; noun use of verb phrase sell off

Example Sentences

While acknowledging that if global liquidity conditions tighten or the situation in the Persian Gulf deteriorates,there is a risk of a sell-off in emerging markets, JPMorgan insists it would be a buyer on any pullbacks.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 4, 2026

“A peace deal could reverse prices dramatically, and an opening of the Strait of Hormuz would likely trigger a counter-seasonal long liquidation sell-off throughout the price curve,” Dennis Kissler of BOK Financial says.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 20, 2026

The rally in Korea is a vindication of the call made by Goldman Sachs strategist Tim Moe in the face of a major sell-off at the start of March.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 30, 2026

A big sell-off in these companies would hit savers – including individuals and pension funds in the UK - and inevitably rock business and consumer confidence.

From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026

Mr. Van Dyke and Dad went to the union hall and sat around the table to inform the union leaders about the sell-off.

From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam

Related Words

• convert
• pay off
• quit
• reimburse
• repay