seal off

Idioms  

1. Also, seal up. Close tightly or barricade to prevent entry or exit. For example, We're sealing off the unused wing of the building, or The jar is tightly sealed up. Dating from the first half of the 1900s, this idiom uses seal in the sense of “close securely,” as one used to do with a seal of wax.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

seal off

As anyone who has tried to hold Europe in the board game Risk can attest, the continent is geographically harder to seal off than North America or Australia.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

The tranquil and picturesque location is hard to access, with water on three sides, and is therefore easy to seal off for major events.

From Barron's ● Jun. 21, 2026

Working with Ukrainian authorities, the team from Gloucestershire aims to teach farmers how to seal off areas that are highly contaminated.

From BBC ● Mar. 13, 2026

Others questioned whether the Forest Service has the means to enforce such a closure — it’s pretty difficult to physically seal off a mountain.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 10, 2026

The officers seal off surrounding streets and leave little room for escape.

From "Enrique's Journey" by Sonia Nazario

Related Words

• circle
• enclose
• surround