Stock Exchange. a sudden and marked decline in stock or bond prices resulting from widespread selling.
an act or instance of liquidating assets or subsidiaries, as by divestiture.
First recorded in 1935–40; noun use of verb phrase sell off
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Next, Lee addresses the sell-off in semiconductors and memory stocks.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
“Its 10% decline for the day so far suggests we’re in the ‘despair’ part of the sell-off, where traders are simply trying to rush to the exit before everyone else.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
Shares in major chip firms have fallen sharply in the US and Asia as a sell-off in artificial intelligence-related stocks deepened.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
That sell-off in South Korea could further rattle U.S. tech stocks, as investors worry that the AI rally may be due for a “breather,” writes José Torres, senior economist at Interactive Brokers.
From Barron's ● Jun. 23, 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
With the trade deadline on Aug. 2, they could make some moves to improve this season or sell off their veteran assets and attempt to rebuild again.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026
“Rather, Fender is working with the manufacturers to redesign the shapes, while the manufacturers sell off existing unauthorized inventory,” the company said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 27, 2026
“When something resembling good news comes out of the Persian Gulf, stocks will rally, and they won’t sell off when those hopes don’t come to pass,” he said.
From MarketWatch ● May 27, 2026
The Duchy of Cornwall, which provides a private income of over £20m per year to the Prince of Wales, is to sell off 20% of its property over 10 years.
From BBC ● May 18, 2026
But before the Revolution, he once organized a lottery—a raffle—to sell off some enslaved people.
From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
