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auction

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auction off

To sell an item to the highest bidder. We're auctioning off a car at the charity event this year.

See also: auction, off

auction something off

to sell something [to the highest bidder] at an auction. He auctioned his home off. He auctioned off his home. The duke was forced to auction off his ancestral home to pay his taxes.

See also: auction, off

Dutch auction

an auction or sale that starts off with a high asking price that is then reduced until a buyer is found. (Viewed by some as insulting to the Dutch.) Dutch auctions are rare—most auctioneers start with a lower price than they hope to obtain. My real estate agent advised me to ask a reasonable price for my house rather than get involved with a Dutch auction.

See also: auction, Dutch

*up for auction

Fig. to be sold at an auction. (*Typically: be ~; come ~; go ~; put something ~.) The old farm where I lived as a child is up for auction.

See also: auction, up

auction off

v.

To sell something to the person who offers the highest amount of money, at or as at an auction: We don't need this table anymore, so we should auction it off. To clear out the warehouse, the company auctioned off the old inventory.

See also: auction, off