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Sell out meaning

Sell out means to be all sold, or sell all of something, so there is none left. It can also mean to give up your beliefs to get money or success (disapproving).

Check yourself: 3 questions

sell out

sell out · sold · selling

B2No object+2 more meanings

The concert sold out in ten minutes.

Sell out meanings and examples

3 meanings, each with its own CEFR level. A level marked ~ is our estimate: Oxford and Cambridge give none for that meaning.

  1. 1be all sold, or sell all of something, so there is none left
  2. 2give up your beliefs to get money or success (disapproving)
  3. 3sell your business or your part of it
  1. 1

    Be all sold, or sell all of something, so there is none left

    sell out

    B2No object

    • The concert sold out in ten minutes.
    • Sorry, we’ve sold out of the chocolate cake.
    • Do you think the new phone will sell out quickly?
  2. 2

    Give up your beliefs to get money or success (disapproving)

    sell out

    C1No object

    • Fans said the band had sold out when they made a car ad.
    • I’ll never sell out for a bigger salary.
    • Did she sell out by joining that company?
  3. 3

    Sell your business or your part of it

    sell out

    C1No object

    • The two founders sold out to a big bank last year.
    • He sold out and moved to the coast.
    • They won’t sell out. It’s a family company.
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Is sell out separable?

Sell out usually has no object. The tickets or the shop can be the subject: The tickets sold out. We sold out. Add of for the thing: We’ve sold out of milk.

Be sold out is very common: The show is sold out. The noun a sell-out means an event with no tickets left, or a person who gave up their beliefs for money (also sellout).

Verb tenses for sell out

PresentI sell out · she sells out
Pastsold out
Present perfecthave sold out
-ing formselling out

Common mistakes with sell out

What learners often say, and what to say instead.

  • Wrong: The tickets are sell out.

    Right: The tickets are sold out.

    After be, use the past participle sold.

  • Wrong: We sold out the bread.

    Right: We sold out of bread.

    With the shop as the subject, add of before the thing.

  • Wrong: Hurry up, we’re selling out of time!

    Right: Hurry up, we’re running out of time!

    Sell out is only for things for sale. For time, use run out.

Synonyms and opposites of sell out

Words close to it, and words that mean the opposite.

Similar

Opposite

  • be in stocka shop has some to sell
  • stay true tokeep your beliefs, even when money is offered

Sell out quiz

Three quick questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.

  1. 1We couldn’t see the film. Every show was ___.

  2. 2Choose the right sentence.

  3. 3“He used to be a punk singer, but he sold out.” What do people think?

Find your level

The phrasal verbs test adapts as you answer, from A2 to C1, and shows which ones you miss.

Test yourself on sell outTake the full test

Sell out FAQ

Questions people ask about sell out.

What does sold out mean?

It means there are none left to buy. In a shop: The red ones are sold out. For an event: The match is sold out.

What is a sellout?

A sellout (or sell-out) can be an event where every ticket is sold, a sell-out show. It can also be a person who gives up their beliefs for money, which is an insult.

Sell out vs run out: what is the difference?

Sell out is only for things that are for sale. Run out is for anything you use up, like milk at home or time.

Use sell out in real conversations

In Slova you learn new words with picture cards, then use them when you talk about the things you love. A few minutes a day, at your level.

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