sell out from under
C1 neutral inseparable transitive
In simple words
To sell something that someone else needed or relied on, leaving them with nothing and no say in the matter.
Literal meaning: To sell the ground from under someone's feet — leaving them with no foundation or footing.
Meanings
1 C1
idiomatic
neutral
To sell an asset that someone else was depending on — typically a home, business, or shared property — without their consent or adequate warning, leaving them in a difficult position.
"The landlord sold the building out from under the tenants, giving them only two weeks to find new accommodation."
Grammar: inseparable
Usage notes
Often used in legal, financial, or real estate contexts. Strongly implies a breach of trust or a sense of unfairness toward the person left without recourse. The phrase typically appears as 'sell something out from under someone'.
Commonly used with
property business home shares assets company
Forms
Base
sell out from under
I/you/we/they
3rd person
sells out from under
he/she/it
Past simple
sold out from under
yesterday
Past participle
sold out from under
have + pp
-ing form
selling out from under
continuous
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