sellout
Americannoun
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Informal. a person who compromises their personal values, integrity, talent, etc., for money or personal advancement.
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Informal. a person who betrays a cause, organization, or the like; traitor.
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an act or instance of selling out.
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an entertainment, as a show or athletic event, for which all the seats are sold.
Etymology
Origin of sellout
An Americanism dating back to 1855–60; noun use of verb phrase sell out
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The viral fried chicken at Yankee Stadium is a sellout.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 8, 2026
“Let him be a giant, massive sellout for one day,” says Wright.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 23, 2026
Yes, there is the disappointment of missing a third-day sellout at the colossal MCG, yet the near 200,000 inside for the two days of action cannot say they were not royally entertained.
From BBC • Dec. 27, 2025
After Centennial quarterback Dominick Catalano took a knee to run out the clock, the sellout crowd went wild with noise and excitement as Centennial players celebrated on the field.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 22, 2025
“They got a sellout in Marshall,” Caines told his players several days before the game.
From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger
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.
