selling short

Cultural  

1. Borrowing shares of stock from a brokerage firm (see broker) and then selling in the expectation that the price of the stock will decline. If it does, the borrower buys them back at a reduced price, returns them to the brokerage, and makes a profit. If it rises, the investor loses money. To sell short is to “short” a stock.

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Example Sentences

Furthermore, sophisticated investors running popular hedge-fund strategies have been selling short shares of cyclical stocks and value stocks to boost their returns.

From MarketWatch • May 28, 2026

Livermore got it right in 1929, selling short before the October crash.

From Barron's • Mar. 1, 2026

"Investment advisers will face more risk when selling short, which will harm investors, market participants, and market efficiency," said its CEO Bryan Corbett.

From Reuters • Oct. 13, 2023

A Grand Master of the Mystery Writers of America, Lawrence Block began selling short stories more than 60 years ago when he was still a student at Antioch College.

From Washington Post • Apr. 28, 2021

If I perform this trick of Brownley's, the trick of selling short until a panic is produced, I shall make millions and none will be the wiser.

From Friday, the Thirteenth by Lawson, Thomas William