off the air

Idioms

Not being broadcast, as in Once they knew they were off the air, the panelists burst out laughing. This idiom, along with the antonym on the air (“being broadcast”), dates from the 1920s, air being considered a medium for radio-wave transmission.

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.

At times, he gives off the air of a professor, donning blue blazers and short-sleeved button-down shirts as he quotes the political theorist Hannah Arendt.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026

Jackson: And we’ve never been off the air.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

The show was later restored after a week off the air.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 19, 2026

Kimmel's show was taken off the air but returned six days later.

From BBC • Mar. 15, 2026

Dad had to turn off the air conditioner so the engine wouldn’t overheat.

From "I Survived Hurricane Katrina, 2005" by Lauren Tarshis

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