decline to sell

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "decline to sell" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when indicating a refusal or unwillingness to sell something, often in a business or commercial context. Example: "After careful consideration, the company has decided to decline to sell its assets at this time."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

If so, could they decline to sell and still remain in their homes?

The New York Times

If a seller is not satisfied with the highest bid on the closing date, they remain at liberty to decline to sell... .. the letter said.

The Guardian - Money

While magazines, newspapers and other media outlets routinely decline to sell advertising space to competitors, magazines and newspapers do not generally operate under government-granted franchises.

The New York Times

He declined to sell, he said, as he will decline to sell any of the other investment-related domain names he has registered, including spinoffs.com, takeovers.com, bottomfishers.com and breakup.com.

The New York Times

Trinity Mirror flagship the Liverpool Echo continued its fall towards the psychological barrier of 100,000 copies, with a 6.6% year-on-year decline to sell a daily average of 102,488 Monday to Saturday.

The Guardian

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

52 human-written examples

Northwest declined to sell.

The New York Times

Northwest has declined to sell.

The New York Times

Wal-Mart, for instance, has declined to sell the book.

The New York Times - Books

Sprint PCS, which looked at the Watchphone and declined to sell it, echoed Ms. Ballard's view.

The New York Times - Tech

Sao Caetano fans did not attend because Vasco declined to sell them tickets.

The New York Times - Sports

"The culture of violence is dominant," said one shop owner, Hussein Mohammed, who declines to sell pellet guns.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "decline to sell" when you want to convey a polite or formal refusal to sell something. It's suitable for business correspondence, legal documents, or formal reports.

Common error

Avoid using "decline to sell" passively (e.g., "the offer was declined to be sold"). Instead, focus on who is declining the sale (e.g., "the company declined to sell the property").

Linguistic Context

The phrase "decline to sell" functions as a verb phrase indicating a refusal or unwillingness to engage in a sales transaction. Examples from Ludwig show its use in various contexts, such as companies declining to sell assets or individuals declining to sell property.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Formal & Business

25%

Science

25%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "decline to sell" serves as a formal way to express the refusal to sell something. Ludwig AI confirms that it is grammatically correct and acceptable in written English. While the phrase is not extremely common, its usage spans across news, business, and scientific contexts. The analysis shows its prevalence in authoritative sources like The New York Times and The Guardian. For situations requiring a more direct approach, alternatives such as "refuse to sell" or "reject the sale" can be considered.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

refuse to sell

A more direct and common synonym. It replaces 'decline' with 'refuse', indicating a firm rejection.

opt not to sell

Suggests a conscious choice not to proceed with a sale, implying deliberation.

choose not to sell

Similar to 'opt not to sell', but with a slightly stronger emphasis on personal preference.

reject the sale

Focuses on the act of rejecting a specific sale offer, rather than a general unwillingness to sell.

turn down the offer

Implies that a specific offer was made and then rejected.

withhold from sale

Suggests a temporary holding back of something from being sold.

retain ownership

Emphasizes the decision to keep possession rather than sell.

not for sale

A straightforward declaration that something is not available for purchase.

deem unsellable

This alternative expresses a decision or conclusion that something is not suitable or appropriate for selling.

keep hold of

Emphasizes the intention to maintain possession rather than relinquish it through a sale.

FAQs

What does "decline to sell" mean?

The phrase "decline to sell" means to refuse or reject an offer or opportunity to sell something. It indicates a decision not to proceed with a sale.

When is it appropriate to use "decline to sell"?

It is appropriate in formal contexts like business negotiations, legal discussions, or official statements when a polite refusal to sell is required.

What are some alternatives to "decline to sell"?

You can use alternatives like "refuse to sell", "opt not to sell", or "reject the sale" depending on the context.

Is "decline to sell" the same as "refuse to sell"?

While similar, "decline to sell" often carries a slightly more formal or polite tone than "refuse to sell". The choice depends on the desired level of formality.