as in sale
a public event at which things are sold to the people who offer to pay the most
She bought the desk at an auction. He made several bids at the auction.
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as in to merchandise
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of auction
Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 28 Apr. 2026
Cocktail hour starts at 6 p.m. with gaming, an auction and raffles beginning at 7 p.m. Tickets are sold via darienrotaryclub.org/.
Proceeds will benefit charity.
—Melinda Moore, Chicago Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026
Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 20 Apr. 2026
This June, Bonhams will auction off hundreds of Keaton’s belongings across four sales, in partnership with The Fine Art Group.
—Katie Schultz, Architectural Digest, 20 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for auction
Noun
Seven of the artist’s top ten works at auction date from the first half of the 1960s.
—Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 28 Apr. 2026
Cocktail hour starts at 6 p.m. with gaming, an auction and raffles beginning at 7 p.m. Tickets are sold via darienrotaryclub.org/.
Proceeds will benefit charity.
—Melinda Moore, Chicago Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026
Verb
The suit was settled on April 22, 1991, when the parties involved agreed to auction the card and donate the proceeds to charity.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 20 Apr. 2026
This June, Bonhams will auction off hundreds of Keaton’s belongings across four sales, in partnership with The Fine Art Group.
—Katie Schultz, Architectural Digest, 20 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for auction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for auction
Noun
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The club was put on sale 16 months ago by its ownership group.—
Anne M. Peterson,
Chicago Tribune,
1 May 2026
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The group, originally signed to RCA Records, released two albums of bustling synth pop and opened for Harry Styles in the late twenty-tens but was cast off in the early days of the pandemic owing to low sales.—
Dan Stahl,
New Yorker,
1 May 2026
Verb
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It’s all curated by owner Sylvie Chateigner, who has methodically merchandised the store by color.—
Clara Giampellegrini,
Vogue,
26 Mar. 2026
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The store’s inventory will come from local closets and be merchandised around upcoming events including Ultra (March 27-29), the Miami Open (through March 29), Formula 1 (May 1-3) and Swim Week (May 25-June 1).—
Howard Cohen,
Miami Herald,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Paramount on Monday asked the FCC for authorization to include the royal families and other foreign investors to help finance the company’s proposed $81-billion transaction.—
Meg James,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
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Gannon Ken Van Dyke, 38, was charged Friday with unlawful use of confidential government information for personal gain, theft of nonpublic government information, commodities fraud, wire fraud and making an unlawful monetary transaction.—
Adam Reiss,
NBC news,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The play can get intense and competitive, but some people are more interested in the social component of mahjong, being next to neighbors and exchanging stories or game tips.—
Tribune News Service,
Baltimore Sun,
27 Apr. 2026
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The pro football player, 28, and his wife, 24, exchanged vows underneath a marble dome surrounded by blush-toned blooms, set directly in front of a lake fountain.—
Ashlyn Robinette,
PEOPLE,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The seats are up for sale on the FIFA Marketplace, an official platform where people can resell their tickets.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
24 Apr. 2026
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Jones would then later resell the gift cards for additional profits.—
Frederick Sutton Sinclair,
CBS News,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Miami then swapped it to San Francisco to move up in the draft, and the 49ers shipped it to the New York Jets to move down.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
25 Apr. 2026
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The money will replace the oldest playground in Boise’s inventory, swap a single portable toilet for a four-season restroom, build a new parking lot and bring the park up to standards set by the Americans with Disabilities Act, Records said.—
Mark Dee,
Idaho Statesman,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Many textiles, including blankets and table runners, were purchased from Sanaa, a social enterprise in Arusha that focuses on empowering people with disabilities through sustainable craftsmanship.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
24 Apr. 2026
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The other issue was justifying a large commercial project outside the UDB when county planning staff contend there is enough industrial real estate available within the development zone that Kelly could purchase for its new headquarters.—
Douglas Hanks,
Miami Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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There is an obligation under labor law to bargain over changes to employment during the term of the agreement.—
Katie Kilkenny,
HollywoodReporter,
21 Apr. 2026
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One way to prevent these kinds of cases is for eligibility rules to be collectively bargained with a college athletes’ union or unions.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
20 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Auction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/auction. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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