sell out verb8 •To sell all of a supply or stock of something.They sold out of concert posters yesterday and won't get another shipment until next week. •To abandon or betray one's principles to seek profit or other personal advantage; to abandon or betray one's supporters through this change.It used to be a pleasant little community, until the leaders sold out to the developers.He used to be a voice for the underdog until he sold out. •To betray (a person), usually a close friend or family member, for personal gain.I'll kill him if I see him again; he sold me out. •To sell one's business (with a connotative emphasis on entirety and finality).The owners long resisted buyout offers, but when they were ready to retire, they finally sold out to a competitor. •(historical) To sell one's commission.After the peace of Versailles he resided in England; but, about three years before the breaking out of the Revolution, he sold out his commission in the army and emigrated to New York. — 1857 •(old-fashioned) To liquidate, sell off, or divest oneself of financial investments, stocks, or government funds. •(figurative) To commit or abandon oneself entirely (to a cause, a team, etc.). •(no longer used) To hurry out. formssold out · selling out · sells out