# sell dearly

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/sell-dearly
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To make one's opponent pay a very high price to defeat or obtain (a person, unit, vehicle, or territory).

## Examples

- The team fought hard to sell their victory dearly.
- The small group of soldiers knew they were outnumbered, but they were determined to sell their position dearly.
- Though the defenders knew the fortress would eventually fall, they fought with such ferocity that they sold every inch of the ramparts dearly.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.