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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

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

Last year's so-called "DeepSeek shock" sparked a sell-off of AI-related shares and a reckoning on business strategy in what was also described as a "Sputnik moment" for the industry.

From Barron's • Apr. 24, 2026

“The sell-off in software because of AI is more about indigestion as opposed to a total collapse in demand.”

From Barron's • Apr. 23, 2026

Find insight on the broader software sell-off, chip restrictions on China and India IT services in the latest Market Talks covering Technology, Media and Telecom.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 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