liquidate
verb
liq·ui·date
ˈli-kwə-ˌdāt 
liquidated; liquidating
1
a(1)
: to determine by agreement or by litigation the precise amount of (indebtedness, damages, or accounts)
(2)
: to determine the liabilities (see liability sense 2) and apportion assets toward discharging the indebtedness of
b
: to settle (a debt) by payment or other settlement
liquidate a loan
2
archaic
: to make clear
3
: to do away with especially by killing
was hired to liquidate a certain businessman
4
: to convert (assets) into cash
liquidated his securities
1
: to liquidate debts, damages, or accounts
2
: to determine liabilities (see liability sense 2) and apportion assets toward discharging indebtedness
Examples of liquidate in a Sentence
The owners were ordered to liquidate the company and pay their creditors.
The company is liquidating its assets.
The owners were ordered to liquidate.
The film is about a professional killer who's hired to liquidate a powerful businessman.
Recent Examples on the Web
Both individual and corporate taxpayers could be liquidating or not demanding at many Treasury bonds to have cash available to make their tax payments.
—
Bill Stone, Forbes.com, 13 Apr. 2025
The volatility of the US swap spreads around the tariff announcements suggests that some of these trades could have been liquidated and helped send yields higher.
—Bill Stone, Forbes.com, 13 Apr. 2025
However, the recent sell-off in gold suggests that investors may be liquidating positions to cover losses in other markets, reflecting concerns over the widespread impact of a trade war.
—John W. Dean, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Apr. 2025
This is because a backlog develops with lenders going through the process of liquidating collateral while the bankruptcy courts will face a similar backlog in the liquidation of debtors’ estates.
—Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for liquidate
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Bill Stone, Forbes.com, 13 Apr. 2025
The volatility of the US swap spreads around the tariff announcements suggests that some of these trades could have been liquidated and helped send yields higher.
—Bill Stone, Forbes.com, 13 Apr. 2025
However, the recent sell-off in gold suggests that investors may be liquidating positions to cover losses in other markets, reflecting concerns over the widespread impact of a trade war.
—John W. Dean, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Apr. 2025
This is because a backlog develops with lenders going through the process of liquidating collateral while the bankruptcy courts will face a similar backlog in the liquidation of debtors’ estates.
—Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for liquidate
Cite this Entry
“Liquidate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/liquidate. Accessed 19 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
liquidate
verb
liq·ui·date
ˈlik-wə-ˌdāt
liquidated; liquidating
1
: pay off sense 1
liquidate a debt
2
: to put an end to : do away with
Legal Definition
liquidate
verb
liq·ui·date
ˈli-kwə-ˌdāt
liquidated; liquidating
1
: to determine by agreement or litigation the precise amount of
also
: to settle (a debt) by payment or other adjustment
2
a
: to determine the liabilities and apportion the assets of especially in bankruptcy or dissolution
liquidate a corporation
compare bankruptcy
b
: to convert (as assets) into cash
liquidate an estate
: to liquidate something (as a corporation)
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