Phrasal verb
sell out
Definition
phrasal verb. to give up your principles or unique style just to make money or become famous. It’s what people say when a cool indie band starts making generic pop music for commercials.
phrasal verb. To compromise one's principles, integrity, or artistic independence in exchange for financial gain. This usage is typically intransitive and functions as a pejorative in informal registers.
Examples
“The artist sells out when he puts profit before his art.”
“After years of criticizing big corporations, the activist sold out by accepting a high-paying job at a major bank.”
“The author was accused of selling out when he allowed a major studio to sanitize the political themes of his novel for the film adaptation.”
Examples
simple
“The artist sells out when he puts profit before his art.”
contextual
“After years of criticizing big corporations, the activist sold out by accepting a high-paying job at a major bank.”
complex
“The author was accused of selling out when he allowed a major studio to sanitize the political themes of his novel for the film adaptation.”
Usage
This is a negative term used to criticize someone for choosing money over their values.
Teaching tip
Contrast this with 'sell someone out' (to betray a person) and the literal 'sell out' (to run out of stock) to show how the particle 'out' changes meaning.
Pitfall
They were sell out for the money.
They sold out for the money.
Learners often treat 'sell out' as an adjective rather than a verb that needs to be conjugated.
Phrasal verb
Particles
out
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
sell + out
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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