# sell like hot cakes

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/sell-like-hot-cakes
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To be sold in large numbers quickly.

## Examples

- These new shirts are selling like hot cakes.
- The bakery opened early, and their fresh bread sold like hot cakes all morning.
- Once the celebrity endorsed the product, it sold like hot cakes, leaving the shelves empty within hours of the store opening.

## Origin

After the proverbial popularity of pancakes in 19th-century America. (disputed)

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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.