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.

See Examples For:

off the air

Shah distanced himself from the ads attacking Jackson and called for them to be taken off the air.

From Salon ● Jul. 14, 2026

“Seinfeld” went off the air 28 years ago, but its cultural relevance has endured as reruns draw new generations of fans.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 1, 2026

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

From BBC ● Mar. 15, 2026

But if CBS execs lose their patience, it’s conceivable that the network can pull him off the air and use guest hosts until the end of the program’s run.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 18, 2026

When all the other recruits had had their long hair shorn off, the air group’s Communist Party secretary, Klavdiya Terekhova, anxiously had to report Lilya’s disobedience to Marina Raskova.

From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein

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