Meaning & use
closeout
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Meanings
nouncountableAmericanbusiness
A sale held to get rid of remaining goods quickly, usually at low prices, often when a store or product line is ending.
Grammar: Countable: a closeout, closeouts.
Patterns
- a closeout on something
- at a closeout
The bookstore held a closeout before shutting down.
We bought the sofa at a closeout.
A closeout on winter coats starts Friday.
nounusually pluralAmericanbusiness
A product sold off cheaply at the end of its sales life.
Grammar: Often plural: buy closeouts.
Patterns
- buy closeouts
The shop sells closeouts from big brands.
He only buys closeouts for resale.
These shoes are closeouts, so they are cheap.
Word forms
| plural | closeouts |
|---|
Common combinations
- closeout sale
- A closeout sale begins Saturday.
- closeout price
- The closeout price was half the original.
- closeout merchandise
- Closeout merchandise fills the back aisle.
- closeout store
- A closeout store opened downtown.
- closeout bargains
- Shoppers hunted closeout bargains.
Synonyms and how they differ
- clearance
- Clearance is the British term for a closeout and also the common American term for marking goods down.
- liquidation sale
- A liquidation sale usually means a business is closing, while a closeout can be for one product.
- fire sale
- A fire sale suggests desperate low prices, a more extreme tone.
- markdown
- A markdown is just a price cut, but a closeout is a sale to remove stock.
Word family
Commonly confused: closeout or closure? closeout or clearance?
closeout vs closure
Closure means the act of closing or emotional resolution, but a closeout is a sale.
closeout vs clearance
Clearance in British English is a sale, but elsewhere it can also mean permission or free space.
Practice
A shop announces a closeout on summer sandals. What should customers expect?
Choose one answer.
A closeout sells off leftover goods at reduced prices. It does not mean new stock or higher prices.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “closeout”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.