# sell one's own grandmother

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/sell-ones-own-grandmother
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To do anything, especially unprincipled or illegal, in order to obtain what one desires.

## Examples

- He is so greedy that he would sell his own grandmother for money.
- The politician was so desperate to win the election that he would sell his own grandmother to get the necessary votes.
- Driven by an insatiable hunger for power, the executive acted as though he would sell his own grandmother to secure the merger.

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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.