sell-by date

[ sel-bahy ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

the last date on which perishable food should be sold, usually established with some allowance for home storage under refrigeration. Compare shelf life.

sell-by date

noun

a date printed on the packaging of perishable goods, indicating the date after which the goods should not be offered for sale
past one's sell-by date informal.
beyond one's prime

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Word History and Origins

Origin of sell-by date¹

First recorded in 1970–75

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Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

past one's / its sell-by date, Informal. past one's or its prime; past the period of greatest vigor, success, etc.:
an aging actress, well past her sell-by date.

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

The sell-by date of some chicken was altered and labels did not have the correct information on them to enable the source of the meat to be properly traced.

From

There was, of course, an unavoidable sell-by date for North’s Dennis.

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There has also been a major push to get retailers to change how they label foods, given that many consumers throw out products if they are past their sell-by date.

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"The government’s sell-by date is written on the box."

From

The governor, who has said he wouldn’t run against her for president, has always known he “had a sell-by date.”

From

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

sell-back sell down the river

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