get bought for

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "get bought for" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing the act of purchasing something or someone, often in a transactional context. Example: "The company was surprised to learn that they would get bought for a significantly higher price than expected."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

If one big lossmaking social network could get bought for a nosebleed price, then surely the most visible independent one, with hundreds of millions of users, would be?

The Guardian - Tech

Even if the Heds aren't the next Disney, a decent result would be to get bought for a mighty price.

Forbes

Even indexes occasionally need to be rebalanced, as when companies get bought for cash and ETF managers need to sell underlying stocks, leading to cap gains for investors.

Forbes

But you play the cards you're dealt, and you take the drinks that get bought for you.

Vice

Donna expects every meal and drink she gets to just get bought for her by her boyfriends, and doesn't even say thank you.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

54 human-written examples

Myspace got bought for over half a billion dollars.

TechCrunch

You own 1% of a company that gets bought for $100.

Forbes

The reason is: chances are your company got bought for an inflated price anyway.

TechCrunch

"People are getting bought for loads nowadays and it is just showing you are worth that price," Odubajo told BBC London 94.9.

BBC

Update: After we published this story, the site indeed got bought for $10,000 within two hours of this getting posted.

TechCrunch

It's like Flatiron Health, the Google-backed cancer data startup that just got bought for $2 billion, but for rare diseases.

TechCrunch

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "get bought for", ensure the context clearly indicates a passive voice construction where the subject is being acquired or purchased by another entity for a specific price.

Common error

Avoid using "get bought for" when the intention is to express an active purchase. For example, don't say "I get bought this car for $20,000"; instead, say "I bought this car for $20,000".

Linguistic Context

"Get bought for" functions as a passive construction, indicating that the subject is the recipient of the action of being purchased. It requires an agent (the buyer) and a price to complete its meaning. Ludwig AI confirms that this construction is grammatically correct, although usage contexts indicate varying levels of formality.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Formal & Business

20%

Wiki

20%

Less common in

Science

0%

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "get bought for" is a grammatically correct phrase used to describe the act of being acquired or purchased, typically in a business context. Ludwig AI indicates that this construction is acceptable. However, it leans toward the informal side, making it more suitable for news articles and general discussions rather than highly formal or academic writing. When a more formal tone is required, consider using alternatives such as "be acquired for" or "be purchased for". While the phrase is relatively rare, understanding its usage helps in recognizing and interpreting discussions about mergers, acquisitions, and business transactions. Ensure the context clearly indicates a passive construction to avoid misinterpretations.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

be acquired for

Focuses specifically on the acquisition of a company or asset, removing the informal "get".

be purchased for

Emphasizes the act of buying, providing a more direct and formal alternative to "get bought for".

be taken over for

Highlights the change in control that occurs during an acquisition.

be bought out for

Implies a complete purchase of someone's shares or ownership.

be obtained for

Suggests the act of gaining possession, which could be through purchase.

be secured for

Emphasizes the effort required to achieve the purchase or acquisition.

be sold for

Focuses on the seller's action rather than the buyer's.

fetch a price of

Indicates the amount of money received in a sale or acquisition.

change hands for

Highlights the transition of ownership.

be transferred for

Emphasizes the formal handover of something in exchange for money.

FAQs

What does "get bought for" mean?

The phrase "get bought for" refers to the action of being purchased or acquired by another entity, typically for a specific price. It's often used in business contexts when discussing mergers and acquisitions.

How can I use "get bought for" in a sentence?

Use "get bought for" to describe a situation where something is being acquired, like: "The company was surprised to learn that they would "get bought for" a significantly higher price than expected."

What can I say instead of "get bought for"?

You can use alternatives like "be acquired for", "be purchased for", or "be taken over for" depending on the context.

Is "get bought for" formal or informal?

While grammatically correct, "get bought for" leans towards the informal side. In formal business communications, it's better to use phrases like "be acquired for" or "be purchased for".