1 B1 neutral
To sell all remaining stock of a product, often at a discounted price, in order to clear inventory.
"The shop sold off all its winter stock in January to make room for the spring collection."
separable
sell off
B2 neutral separable transitive
To sell assets, goods, or shares quickly and often at a reduced price, typically to raise money or clear stock.
In plain English
To sell a lot of things quickly, often at a cheap price, to get rid of them or make money fast.
What does "sell off" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 neutral
To sell business assets, subsidiaries, or shares — often quickly and under financial pressure.
"The conglomerate sold off several non-core divisions to focus on its primary business."
“
The government announced it would sell off its remaining stake in the national airline.
— Financial Times, 2018
separable
3 C1 formal
In financial markets: for investors to sell large volumes of shares rapidly, causing prices to fall sharply.
"Markets sold off sharply after the interest rate announcement."
inseparable
Usage tip
Common in both business and everyday contexts. In finance, a 'sell-off' (noun) refers to a sharp decline in stock prices as investors sell large quantities. In retail, it means selling remaining stock cheaply.
Words that pair with "sell off"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
assets shares stock property subsidiaries inventory
How to conjugate "sell off"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
sell off
I/you/we/they
3rd person
sells off
he/she/it
Past simple
sold off
yesterday
Past participle
sold off
have + pp
-ing form
selling off
continuous
Hear "sell off" in the wild
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