shell company
Britishnoun
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a near-defunct company, esp one with a stock-exchange listing, used as a vehicle for a thriving company
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a company that has ceased to trade but retains its registration and is sold for a small sum to enable its new owners to avoid the cost and trouble of registering a new company
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.
Slusky heads Vector Capital, the firm behind the shell company that took Rocket Lab public in 2021.
From Barron's • Jun. 3, 2026
The Tim Hortons trade also was routed to the Russian trader, who bought the shares in the name of a shell company registered in the British Virgin Islands, according to court papers.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 12, 2026
All would-be entrants had to do was set up a shell company and then apply for access to the registry, which was normally given.
From BBC • Mar. 12, 2026
Investigators also identified a shell company possibly used to launder the advertising revenue, which totaled to around $6.2 million, and an investment of $200,000 in cryptocurrency.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 3, 2025
That's below the $17.50 share price that the shell company, Digital World Acquisition Corporation, had at the start of the year.
From Salon • Sep. 5, 2024
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.
