If you expect a stock’s price to fall, you would purchase a put option.
A put option gives its buyer the right, but not the obligation, to sell an underlying stock at a specified strike price before or at the contract’s expiration, depending on the option’s terms. If the market price falls, that right can become more valuable because the holder may sell at the higher strike price or sell the option contract at a higher premium.
For example, a put with a $70 strike price becomes increasingly useful if the stock falls well below $70. The buyer must still account for the premium paid: the trade generally needs to move far enough downward to cover that cost before producing a profit. If the stock stays above the strike price at expiration, the put may expire worthless.
Buying a put is different from short selling. A short seller borrows shares and sells them, while a put buyer purchases a derivative contract. Both can express a bearish view, but options have expiration dates and can lose the entire premium paid.