liquidate
verb
liq·ui·date
ˈli-kwə-ˌdāt 
liquidated; liquidating
1
a(1)
: to determine by agreement or by litigation the precise amount of (indebtedness, damages, or accounts)
(2)
: to determine the liabilities (see liability sense 2) and apportion assets toward discharging the indebtedness of
b
: to settle (a debt) by payment or other settlement
liquidate a loan
2
archaic
: to make clear
3
: to do away with especially by killing
was hired to liquidate a certain businessman
4
: to convert (assets) into cash
liquidated his securities
1
: to liquidate debts, damages, or accounts
2
: to determine liabilities (see liability sense 2) and apportion assets toward discharging indebtedness
Synonyms
Examples of liquidate in a Sentence
The owners were ordered to liquidate the company and pay their creditors.
The company is liquidating its assets.
The owners were ordered to liquidate.
The film is about a professional killer who's hired to liquidate a powerful businessman.
Recent Examples on the Web
While major stakeholders liquidating their investment wouldn’t normally be confidence-building, the market was well aware of ongoing feud between Litinsky and Moss and the company.
—
Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 27 Sep. 2024
Free Speech Systems—the parent company—filed for bankruptcy in July 2022 after reporting $79 million in debt and $4 million in cash on hand in April, though the company’s subsequent request to liquidate their assets was denied.
—Ty Roush, Forbes, 25 Sep. 2024
He was reported to liquidate his assets such as his Hummer and house to pay off bills.
—Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 17 Sep. 2024
Foreign investors have liquidated nearly $1 billion worth of Indian equities in the two days since the Budget was announced and traders have sent stocks lower every day so far since then.
—Ganesh Rao, CNBC, 25 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for liquidate 
Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 27 Sep. 2024
Free Speech Systems—the parent company—filed for bankruptcy in July 2022 after reporting $79 million in debt and $4 million in cash on hand in April, though the company’s subsequent request to liquidate their assets was denied.
—Ty Roush, Forbes, 25 Sep. 2024
He was reported to liquidate his assets such as his Hummer and house to pay off bills.
—Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 17 Sep. 2024
Foreign investors have liquidated nearly $1 billion worth of Indian equities in the two days since the Budget was announced and traders have sent stocks lower every day so far since then.
—Ganesh Rao, CNBC, 25 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for liquidate
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'liquidate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near liquidate
Cite this Entry
“Liquidate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/liquidate. Accessed 1 Oct. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
liquidate
verb
liq·ui·date
ˈlik-wə-ˌdāt
liquidated; liquidating
1
: pay off sense 1
liquidate a debt
2
: to put an end to : do away with
Legal Definition
liquidate
verb
liq·ui·date
ˈli-kwə-ˌdāt
liquidated; liquidating
1
: to determine by agreement or litigation the precise amount of
also
: to settle (a debt) by payment or other adjustment
2
a
: to determine the liabilities and apportion the assets of especially in bankruptcy or dissolution
liquidate a corporation
compare bankruptcy
b
: to convert (as assets) into cash
liquidate an estate
: to liquidate something (as a corporation)
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