sellout

1 of 2

noun

sell·​out ˈsel-ˌau̇t 

1

: the act or an instance of selling out

2

: something sold out

especially : something (such as a concert or contest) for which all tickets are sold

3

: one who sells out

sell out

2 of 2

verb

sold out; selling out; sells out

transitive verb

1

: to sell the goods of (a debtor) in order to satisfy creditors

2

: to sell security or commodity holdings of usually to satisfy an uncovered margin

3

a

: to sell all the available tickets for

sold out the concert

b

: to sell all of

the merchandise was quickly sold out

intransitive verb

1

: to dispose of one's goods by sale

especially : to sell one's business

2

: to betray one's cause or associates especially for personal gain

3

: to be or achieve a sellout

Synonyms

Noun

• backstabbing
• betrayal
• business
• disloyalty
• double cross
• faithlessness
• falseness
• falsity
• infidelity
• perfidy
• treachery
• treason
• two-timing
• unfaithfulness

Examples of sellout in a Sentence

Noun

The concert was a sellout.

The union sees the deal as a sellout.

Angry fans called him a sellout when he started appearing in television commercials.

Verb

the band sold out its faithful followers, abandoning its edgy style for a more commercial sound

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

That track appears to have hit a sweet spot as the crowd for the Xfinity 500 will be close to a sellout. —Bruce Martin, Forbes, 2 Nov. 2024

As Kurt explains, a lot of that growth has come from Sun Belt teams that were once viewed as struggling properties but have since found a formula for success—and sellouts. —Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 31 Oct. 2024

Verb

The masks can be found in her The Gift of Glow Kit (below) as well as in her Head to Toe Glow Kit, which is back for 2024 after selling out with lightning speed in 2023. —Jackie Fields, People.com, 5 Nov. 2024

At a time when capitulating to the mainstream was regarded as selling out, R.E.M.’s move to a major label stung, as if the band had sloughed off its loyalists for the teeming masses. —Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1859, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1796, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Kids Definition

sellout

1 of 2 noun

sell·​out ˈsel-ˌau̇t 

1

: the act or an instance of selling out

2

: a show, contest, or exhibition for which all seats are sold

sell out

2 of 2 verb

(ˈ)sel-ˈau̇t

: to dispose of all of one's goods by sale