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.

---

sell off British  

verb

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

---

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.

---

Etymology

Origin of sell-off

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

Example Sentences

A recent sell-off in the stock is just an opportunity, they add.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026

“Gold has emerged as one of the more exposed assets, with the sell-off driven by long liquidation, stop-loss selling, and investors raising liquidity,” said Ole Hansen, head of commodity strategy at Saxo Bank.

From Barron's • Mar. 23, 2026

“Big corrections,” Hartnett says, “end when sell-off leaders are so oversold they trough.”

From MarketWatch • Mar. 20, 2026

The sell-off - part of a global correction in traditional software and IT stocks - preceded the market nervousness caused by recent geopolitical uncertainty, and is particularly significant for India.

From BBC • Mar. 16, 2026

To Steve Eisman at FrontPoint Partners, the market seemed mainly stupid or delusional: A financial culture that had experienced so many tiny panics followed by robust booms saw any sell-off as merely another buying opportunity.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

Related Words

• convert
• pay off
• quit
• reimburse
• repay