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Synonyms

wholesaler

American  
[hohl-sayl-er] / ˈhoʊlˌseɪl ər /

noun

  • wholesalers
    plural
  1. a business that sells products primarily to manufacturers, distributors, retailers, and other client companies rather than to end-use consumers, usually for less than the retail price.


Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Explanation

A wholesaler is a person or business that sells items to retail stores, which then sell them to individual customers for a higher price. You could also call a wholesaler a distributor. Anyone who sells goods to other businesses, rather than directly to customers, is a wholesaler. The bookshop in your town and the big-box store in a strip mall are both retailers; they buy goods from wholesalers, who sell them large quantities of books or patio furniture, etc., to be resold to individual shoppers.

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Vocabulary lists containing wholesaler

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.

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Investing in heat-countering measures has become essential to maintain the existing workforce and attract new recruits, said Yutaka Kono from Konoe, the specialist wholesaler of screws and surveying equipment where Tabuchi works.

From Barron's Aug. 25, 2026

Citadel Securities, the largest retail wholesaler, said that SpaceX had the highest retail order activity it had ever seen for an IPO auction.

From MarketWatch Jun. 12, 2026

Alderney Electricity is the main wholesaler for the island's fuel, which is shipped from the UK via Guernsey.

From BBC Apr. 7, 2026

The San Diego County Water Authority serves as a wholesaler, delivering water to 22 cities and other agencies that serve 3.3 million people.

From Los Angeles Times Mar. 3, 2026

I hurried down to the door, introduced him hastily to the wife of an Amsterdam wholesaler, and got him upstairs.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

Two wholesalers interviewed by AFP on condition of anonymity said they are still sourcing from Iran, notably via Omani ports.

From Barron's Sep. 13, 2026

But rather than slash prices, the WSJ’s Jennifer Williams reports, the company opted to cut back on discounts, pull some products from shelves and sell fewer shoes to wholesalers.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 25, 2026

The company reduced sales of its namesake foam clogs to wholesalers and cut back on direct-to-consumer discounts.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 25, 2026

He said the company engaged in "organised, planned, unlawful activity" and "misled wholesalers, retailers and consumers".

From BBC Jun. 6, 2026

On one occasion, Borgenicht realized that his only chance to undercut bigger firms was to convince the wholesalers to sell cloth to him directly, eliminating the middleman.

From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell

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