sealed
Britishverb
adjective
Explanation
Anything that's sealed is securely — maybe even permanently — closed or unavailable. An ancient sealed tomb may be safe from curious explorers or grave robbers. A sealed bottle of medicine is tightly shut, not even allowing air inside. A sealed document might be physically closed, like a sealed envelope that's pasted shut, or just unavailable for anyone without special permission to look at. When a promise or vow is sealed, it's officially established or decided: "Their sealed promise meant that neither of them could ever mention the secret club."
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.
In 1981, the Yankees reached the World Series, once again facing the Dodgers — and John was at the center of the most controversial decision in the series that ultimately sealed New York’s fate.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
Later, Australian Open champion Rybakina sealed her place in the final, despite losing the opening set to Coco Gauff.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
Official figures show that over 6,000 people died in the horrific earthquakes that struck Venezuela in June, but authorities are keeping their lips sealed about how many more are missing.
From Barron's ● Aug. 6, 2026
On July 21, OpenAI disclosed that two of its models had escaped a sealed testing environment, reached the open internet and broken into another company’s production systems.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
They’d hunt one down, butcher the animal, cut up the meat, and preserve it in jars they sealed shut in boiling water.
From "I Survived the Great Alaska Earthquake, 1964" by Lauren Tarshis
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
