give or hand over (something) in exchange for money, persuade someone of the merits of, be approved of or popular with someone

sell like hotcakes, sell someone a bill of goods, sell someone down the river

hard sell, sell out, sell short

Formal and Informal Expressions of sell

In different contexts, you can replace 'sell' with suitable alternatives. In a more formal setting, 'vend, market' is apt. In informal speech or writing, 'push, hustle' is a commonplace synonym.

sell: Explore its Definition & Usage

sell Definition

1give or hand over (something) in exchange for money
2persuade someone of the merits of
3be approved of or popular with someone

Using sell: Examples

Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "sell" can be used in various situations through the following examples!

Example
I sold my car to him.
Example
They sell fresh produce at the farmer's market.
Example
She sold her idea to the investors.
Example
The new product is selling well.

sell Synonyms and Antonyms

Synonyms for sell

Antonyms for sell

Idioms Using sell

sell like hotcakes
sell very quickly and in large numbers
Example
The new iPhone model is selling like hotcakes.
sell someone a bill of goods
deceive or cheat someone
Example
The salesman sold me a bill of goods about the quality of the product.
sell someone down the river
betray someone
Example
He sold his colleagues down the river to save his own skin.

Phrases with sell

hard sell
an aggressive and forceful sales technique
Example
The salesman used a hard sell approach to convince me to buy the car.
sell out
betray one's principles for reasons of expedience
Example
He was accused of selling out to the corporate interests.
sell short
underestimate the true value or worth of
Example
Don't sell yourself short - you have a lot of talent.

Origins of sell

from Old English 'sellan', meaning 'to give, deliver, offer'

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Summary: sell in Brief

The verb 'sell' [sel] refers to exchanging something for money, persuading someone of something, or being popular. It can be used in contexts such as 'I sold my car to him,' 'She sold her idea to the investors,' and 'The new product is selling well.' The phrase 'sell like hotcakes' denotes quick and large sales, while 'sell someone a bill of goods' means to deceive or cheat someone.