short sale

American

noun

an act or instance of selling short.

Etymology

Origin of short sale

First recorded in 1865–70

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

That selling has come partly through short sales, or traders betting against the stocks.

From Barron's

Strategists at Evercore ISI say “de-grossing” by big funds—when previous winners are heavily sold and short sales of lagging stocks are covered—can be a catalyst for that.

From The Wall Street Journal

Plus, the homeowner may have to do a short sale, meaning they sell the home for less than what they owe on their mortgage with the lender’s approval.

From MarketWatch

The cost of borrowing the shares for a short sale is exorbitant, if an investor could find someone to lend them.

From The Wall Street Journal

Currently, a short seller must put 150% of the value of a short sale in a margin account, which includes the price of the sale and an additional 50% of the value.

From Barron's

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023