short sale
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of short sale
First recorded in 1865–70
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.
If that happens, he expects around 250,000 people to lose their homes over the next 12 to 18 months, either through a voluntary sale, a foreclosure or a short sale.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 3, 2026
Plus, the homeowner may have to do a short sale, meaning they sell the home for less than what they owe on their mortgage with the lender’s approval.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 9, 2026
The IRS previously required that brokers issue a 1099-B disclosing only when someone entered into a short sale and how big the position was, but not when they closed the short.
From Salon ● Mar. 17, 2023
You risk a short sale, which is when you sell the house for less than what you owe on the mortgage note, depending on how much you put down and how much prices have dropped.
From Slate ● Nov. 21, 2022
You would then buy futures at 8.00 to cover your short sale at 6.00, netting a loss thereby of 2.00.
From About sugar buying for jobbers How you can lessen business risks by trading in refined sugar futures by Dyer, B. W. (Benjamin Wheeler)
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.
