sealed

British  

/ siːld /

verb

1. the past participle of seal 1

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adjective

1. (of a road) having a hard surface; made-up

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

The government investigation stems from a previously sealed whistleblower lawsuit filed in 2022 against First Brands, its Brake Parts and Centric Parts divisions, as well as a Chinese subsidiary, Longkou Haimeng Machinery.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026

It was No. 1 seed UCLA’s 27th comeback win of the season and the second consecutive game Levu’s hit sealed a victory during the Big Ten tournament played in Omaha, Neb.

From Los Angeles Times • May 24, 2026

At the time he argued a weak U.S. job market needed support, but what sealed the deal was a sufficient slowdown in inflation to give the Fed cover.

From MarketWatch • May 23, 2026

The England midfielder sealed the win as he completed his first senior hat-trick to give Arsenal their biggest advantage after 12 games of any Premier League campaign.

From BBC • May 19, 2026

Before the sessions began, the room was typically searched, the windows sealed, and the doors locked.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock

Related Words

• airtight
• closed
• fixed