sold
ˈsōld 
; selling
; selling
1
: to deliver or give up in violation of duty, trust, or loyalty and especially for personal gain : betray
—often used with out
sell out their country
2
a(1)
: to give up (property) to another for something of value (such as money)
(2)
: to offer for sale
b
: to give up in return for something else especially foolishly or dishonorably
sold his birthright for a mess of pottage
c
: to exact a price for
sold their lives dearly
3
a
: to deliver into slavery for money
b
: to give into the power of another
sold his soul to the devil
c
: to deliver the personal services of for money
4
: to dispose of or manage for profit instead of in accordance with conscience, justice, or duty
sold their votes
5
a
: to develop a belief in the truth, value, or desirability of : gain acceptance for
trying to sell a program to the Congress
b
: to persuade or influence to a course of action or to the acceptance of something
sell children on reading
6
: to impose on : cheat
7
a
: to cause or promote the sale of
using television advertising to sell cereal
b
: to make or attempt to make sales to
c
: to influence or induce to make a purchase
8
: to achieve a sale of
sold a million copies
1
: to dispose of something by sale
thinks now is a good time to sell
2
: to achieve a sale
also
: to achieve satisfactory sales
hoped that the new line would sell
3
: to have a specified price
sell
4 of 4chiefly Scottish variant of self
Synonyms
Examples of sell in a Sentence
Verb
He buys and remodels houses and then sells them at a profit.
Stock prices are increasing, so now is a good time to sell.
Only a few stores sell that type of equipment.
Recent Examples on the Web
Max Zahn, ABC News, 24 May 2024
They were stunned when a nearby house recently sold for nearly $3 million after its owner died.
—Hailey Branson-Potts, Los Angeles Times, 24 May 2024
An original 1955 Eichler mid-century modern home in Sacramento’s South Land Park Hills neighborhood sold in November 2023 for $810,000 — a little over a month after listing.
—David Caraccio, Sacramento Bee, 24 May 2024
Her memoir is available for preorder now, wherever books are sold.
—Karen Katz, Peoplemag, 24 May 2024
More than half a billion pairs were sold in 2023, according to Grand View Research.
—Suzanne Nuyen, NPR, 24 May 2024
Southern Living released a list of the 30 best home decor stores in the South selling stylish vintage and contemporary furniture, art and accessories.
—Chyna Blackmon, Charlotte Observer, 23 May 2024
One idea under consideration is using blue hydrogen to power a factory which Aramco operates with Saudi Arabia’s Baosteel: The plan would be to use the cleaner power to make steel plates, and then sell the low-carbon product for far higher prices than regular, higher-polluting steel.
—Vivienne Walt, Fortune, 23 May 2024
Vendors have caught on and now sell flowers, balloons, and signs outside the cemeteries.
—Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 12 May 2024
Chris Welch, The Verge, 22 May 2024
Which, at least at the beginning, wasn’t an easy sell.
—Marta Balaga, Variety, 20 May 2024
Gatwa’s unbridled exuberance makes this an easy sell and serves as a data bridge between new viewers and old.
—Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times, 17 May 2024
And while the Old West has often been a tough sell for international buyers and audiences in foreign markets, Horizon has received much interest.
—Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 May 2024
Instead, wealthy buyers are willing to pay eight-figure prices — Gallagher sold one on Pine Lake valued at $15 million and has seen some sell for more than $20 million.
—Jim Riccioli, Journal Sentinel, 16 May 2024
But for audiences in many foreign territories, the Old West can be a tough sell.
—Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 May 2024
At wineries, storytelling sells: chatting with staff, meeting the owners, learning about the history of the winery, Vasquez said.
—Roxana Popescu, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 May 2024
But the show is so rooted in a specific vision that the next five editions are an easy sell.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 4 May 2024
Verb
The gasoline will be sold in 100,000-barrel tranches over a six-week stretch between Memorial Day and July 4, bolstering the nation's fuel supply during the busiest driving season of the year, the U.S. Department of Energy said in a statement.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 24 May 2024
They were stunned when a nearby house recently sold for nearly $3 million after its owner died.
—Hailey Branson-Potts, Los Angeles Times, 24 May 2024
An original 1955 Eichler mid-century modern home in Sacramento’s South Land Park Hills neighborhood sold in November 2023 for $810,000 — a little over a month after listing.
—David Caraccio, Sacramento Bee, 24 May 2024
Her memoir is available for preorder now, wherever books are sold.
—Karen Katz, Peoplemag, 24 May 2024
More than half a billion pairs were sold in 2023, according to Grand View Research.
—Suzanne Nuyen, NPR, 24 May 2024
Southern Living released a list of the 30 best home decor stores in the South selling stylish vintage and contemporary furniture, art and accessories.
—Chyna Blackmon, Charlotte Observer, 23 May 2024
One idea under consideration is using blue hydrogen to power a factory which Aramco operates with Saudi Arabia’s Baosteel: The plan would be to use the cleaner power to make steel plates, and then sell the low-carbon product for far higher prices than regular, higher-polluting steel.
—Vivienne Walt, Fortune, 23 May 2024
Vendors have caught on and now sell flowers, balloons, and signs outside the cemeteries.
—Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 12 May 2024
Noun
That might be a tough sell after the $699 AI Pin’s debut: the device has been widely panned for its slow responses and a user experience that falls well short of the always-on, wearable AI assistant concept that its founders promised in the run-up to the device’s release.
—Chris Welch, The Verge, 22 May 2024
Which, at least at the beginning, wasn’t an easy sell.
—Marta Balaga, Variety, 20 May 2024
Gatwa’s unbridled exuberance makes this an easy sell and serves as a data bridge between new viewers and old.
—Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times, 17 May 2024
And while the Old West has often been a tough sell for international buyers and audiences in foreign markets, Horizon has received much interest.
—Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 May 2024
Instead, wealthy buyers are willing to pay eight-figure prices — Gallagher sold one on Pine Lake valued at $15 million and has seen some sell for more than $20 million.
—Jim Riccioli, Journal Sentinel, 16 May 2024
But for audiences in many foreign territories, the Old West can be a tough sell.
—Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 May 2024
At wineries, storytelling sells: chatting with staff, meeting the owners, learning about the history of the winery, Vasquez said.
—Roxana Popescu, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 May 2024
But the show is so rooted in a specific vision that the next five editions are an easy sell.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 4 May 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sell.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Sell.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sell. Accessed 28 May. 2024.
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