loss leader

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Personal fame was a loss leader to sell stuff.”

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 11, 2025

A loss leader and a billboard food for nearly every casino on the Strip, prime rib became the perfect dish for a town branding itself as the vacationland of middle-class luxury.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 25, 2023

Instead, carrots are a "battleground for supermarkets", where they use them as a loss leader, he says.

From BBC • Dec. 19, 2023

Houck added that bottomless mimosas are considered a "loss leader" or "an item sold at a loss with the goal of getting diners to spend more on other items."

From Salon • Mar. 26, 2023

I just have to write the truck off as a short-term loss leader, because when it comes down to it, I’m no longer in a position to negotiate.

From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman