Definition

Verb (phrasal verb): - To sell all of one's property, possessions, or merchandise, typically in order to move, retire, or close a business.

Usage

This phrasal verb is used to describe the complete liquidation of assets. It often implies a significant, final decision, such as leaving a place or ending a business venture. It is commonly used in business and personal finance contexts.

Examples

• After thirty years, the shop owner decided to sell up and retire to the coast.
• The company was forced to sell up to pay its enormous debts.
• They sold their house and sold up most of their furniture before moving abroad.

Advanced Usage

• "to sell up and move on": This common collocation emphasizes the act of selling everything as a precursor to starting anew elsewhere.
  • After the factory closed, many families had to sell up and move on to find work.

Variants and Related Words

• Sell-off (noun): The sale of a large number of assets, especially stocks, or the act of selling a business.
  • The sell-off of the company's foreign divisions took over a year.
• Liquidate (verb): To convert assets into cash; to sell off a business's assets, often to pay debts. This is a more formal synonym.
  • The court ordered the business to liquidate its remaining inventory.

Synonyms

• Liquidate: To wind up the affairs of a business by ascertaining liabilities and apportioning assets.
• Dispose of: To get rid of something by selling it.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Sell out (of something): To sell all of a particular item so that no more is available.
  • The concert tickets sold out in minutes. (Note: "Sell out" focuses on a specific product being gone, while "sell up" focuses on the seller liquidating all assets.)

Related Idioms

• Cash in one's chips: (Idiomatic) To sell one's assets, especially to retire; to withdraw from an activity. This idiom originates from gambling.
  • After a long career on Wall Street, he finally cashed in his chips and bought a vineyard.

Verb

1. get rid of all one's merchandise