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Glite Dictionary
to sell up

to sell up

1 5.5
Get money for all your things, often to move away or close a business
  • phrasal verb
  • /sɛl ʌp/
  • UK
translation icon : liquidar
  • Due to financial difficulties, I had no choice but to sell up and leave the city.

It's mad one when you talk about selling up because we understand the chase.

Examples

  • Is it true that your brother wants to sell up?

    Mothman (2022)

  • Do they know your dad was gonna sell up?

    Kinky Boots (2005)

  • Sell up then, move to some place by the sea.

    Albert Nobbs (2011)

  • I'd sell up again tomorrow.

    Irina Palm (2007)

  • Why don't you sell up, move South?

    The Honorary Consul (1983)

  • I'll put an ad up in town tomorrow... sayin' we're sellin' up.

    Never Grow Old (2019)

  • Regarding your property, my advice would be to sell up, even if it is heart-wrenching not to get the optimal price you believe your home is worth.

    Blog text (18)

  • A number of people—mainly owner-occupiers—didn't want to sell up and leave, and they made life difficult for developers who were unable to commence demolition.

    Blog text (5)

  • She decided to sell up her shop as it was no longer making a profit.

  • After many years running the business, they finally chose to sell up and retire.

Synonyms

to sell off
vsto sell up
57 3.5

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

is for disposing of everything to leave or close a business, not for quick clearance
to liquidate
vsto sell up
  • Specialized
25 7.3

To sell a company's goods and property to pay debts

is for disposing of everything to leave or close a business, not to pay debts
to auction off
vsto sell up
24 3.5

To sell something to the person who offers the most money at a public sale

is for disposing of everything to leave or close a business, not only by bidding
to divest
vsto sell up
  • Specialized
10 7.5

Sell off an asset or part of a business

is used when people dispose of everything to leave or shut down their whole business
to close out
vsto sell up
  • US
3 4.3

Sell all remaining stock at low prices to end a business

is about disposing of everything to leave or shut down a business
to disinvest
vsto sell up
  • Specialized
1 8.0

To sell shares or assets to reduce putting money into something

is for disposing of everything to leave or close a business, not just reducing holdings
to liquidize
vsto sell up
  • US
7.5

To sell all goods and things you own to get cash

is used when people dispose of all possessions to leave or close a business
to liquidate investment
vsto sell up
  • Specialized
6.4

To sell investments to get cash

is used when people dispose of everything to leave or close a business

Antonyms

to keep
∞ 1.0

To store something for later use

How Complete

to sell up
  • UK
1 5.5
to liquidate
  • Specialized
25 7.3
to sell off
57 3.5
to sell
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

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

Morphology

sell + up

The verb 'sell' combined with the particle 'up' can be partly interpreted compositionally because 'up' frequently marks completion or totality in phrasal verbs (so a learner could infer 'sell completely' or 'sell everything'). However, the specific pragmatic sense—selling all one’s possessions or selling in order to leave/close a business—is an extended, somewhat idiomatic use that is not fully predictable from the parts, so learners may need exposure to grasp the full meaning.

Etymology

Sell up comes from the image of a shop or farm owner who sells everything and packs up to leave town. So it means 'to sell all your possessions or your business, often to move away or stop trading'.