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💰 To exchange for money 🗣️ To persuade 🗣️ A persuasion attempt 🤐 To betray
to sell

to sell

978 2.0
To persuade someone to buy or accept something
  • verb
  • /sɛl/
translation icon : convencer
  • The salesperson was able to sell the product to the customer by highlighting its benefits.
  • try to sell
  • easy to sell

And two, I think now what you're selling to people is time.

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Examples

  • "Until the '80s, I'd be lucky enough to sell 100,000 books in the first few weeks," he says.

    Academic text (2011)

  • What writers need to learn is how to sell to the cyber marketplace.

    Academic text (2011)

  • What did you have to do to sell yourself month after month?

    Dr. Phil

  • And I can tell you this works if you sell hard on that first call.

    The Rich Dad Channel

  • Another advantage is not having to sell yourself for each new project.

    Academic text (2011)

  • We were taught how to sell the merchandise.

  • I'm sure I could sell him on the idea of some accident protection.

    Double Indemnity (1944)

  • I teach coaches how to sell coaching and get coaching clients.

    Ryan Pineda

  • The challenge to the coach educator is to sell this concept to the novice coach.

    Academic text (2011)

  • More seriously, the administration persisted in selling arms to Taiwan in excess of Beijing's expectations.

    Academic text (1991)

Synonyms

to convince
vsto sell
∞ 2.7

Make someone believe something is true or agree to do something

focuses on getting people to buy or accept ideas rather than only belief
to persuade
vsto sell
472 2.7

To make someone agree or do something by giving reasons

aims to get people to buy something or accept an idea
to lure
vsto sell
270 3.7

To get someone to do something by offering a reward or making false promises

relies instead on direct honest arguments to get people to buy or accept ideas
to push
vsto sell
262 4.0

To try to sell something forcefully, often illegal goods

may be less forceful and can involve gentle urging or explanation
to promote
vsto sell
252 3.5

Tell people about a product to increase sales

is more personal and aims to get individuals to buy or accept ideas
to talk into
vsto sell
236 3.0

Make someone agree to do something by giving reasons

focuses instead on encouraging purchases or idea acceptance rather than only reasons
to entice
vsto sell
61 4.9

To persuade someone to do something by offering something they want

focuses on getting people to buy or accept ideas rather than offering temptations
to evangelize
vsto sell
3 6.9

Try to persuade people to accept a belief, often a religious one

is used more broadly to get people to buy or accept ideas beyond religion
to bring round
vsto sell
  • UK
4.4

To persuade someone to accept your idea or plan

is used to get people to buy or accept ideas more generally

Antonyms

to dissuade
35 6.0

To try to stop someone from doing something by talking to them

Idioms

to sell down the river
  • Informal
12 8.8

To betray someone to get something for yourself

to sell a bill of goods
  • Informal
2 9.0

To trick someone by making something false seem valuable

to buy low, sell high
1 3.9

To buy something when its price is low and sell it later to make money

to sell like hot cakes
  • Informal
1 3.3

To be bought quickly by many people

to sell like gangbusters
  • Informal
1 7.2

Many people buy it very quickly

to have a bridge to sell
  • Informal
9.9

To offer something unbelievable to trick someone, often as a joke

to sell one's soul
  • Informal
8.3

Act badly to get money, power, or success

to sell one's own grandmother
  • Informal
9.9

To betray or use close family to get something for yourself

to sell the family silver
  • UK
8.6

Give up valuable family items to solve money problems

to sell your birthright
8.2

To give up something very important for little or no value

to sell your birthright for a mess of pottage
9.9

To give up something very important for a small, quick gain

Phrasal Verbs

to sell someone out
  • Informal
109 5.9

Betray someone by telling their secrets to others for personal gain

to sell out
65 2.8

To sell all the tickets or goods so nothing is left

to sell off
57 3.5

To quickly get rid of things by offering them at low prices

to sell out
  • Informal
55 6.8

To give up your beliefs for money or personal gain

to sell oneself
  • Informal
10 6.8

To show your skills and good points to get opportunities

to sell short
  • Specialized
3 8.1

To sell stocks you do not own hoping to buy them back at a lower price

to sell up
  • UK
1 5.5

Get money for all your things, often to move away or close a business

to sell short
1 5.7

To think a person or thing cannot do as much as they really can

to sell dearly
  • Informal
8.3

To suffer serious harm or loss because of something you did

to sell down
5.9

To find buyers for part of your shares or investments so you own less

to sell one's body
  • NSFW
9.9

To have sex with someone for money

Compounds

hard sell
  • Informal
15 5.3

A strong, pushy effort to make someone buy something

sell-by date
  • US
4 3.2

Date on food that shows the last day shops should keep it on shelves so it is still fresh

soft sell
1 3.9

A gentle way to encourage people to buy something

How Persuasive

to convince
∞ 2.7
to sell
978 2.0
to pitch
152 3.9
to suggest
∞ 1.6

Surface Forms

sell infinitive
selling present participle
sells third person singular
sold past
sold past participle

Etymology

Sell also came to mean 'convince' because a seller must make a buyer want an item. That's why to sell an idea is to persuade people to accept it.