sign-off

American  

[sahyn-awf, -of] / ˈsaɪnˌɔf, -ˌɒf /

Or signoff

noun

1. the act or fact of signing off.

2. personal approval or authorization; endorsement.

---

sign off British  

verb

1. (intr) to announce the end of a radio or television programme, esp at the end of a day

2. (intr) bridge to make a conventional bid indicating to one's partner that one wishes the bidding to stop

3. (tr) to withdraw or retire from (an activity)

4. (tr) (of a doctor) to declare (someone) unfit for work, because of illness

5. (intr) to terminate one's claim to unemployment benefit

---

sign off Idioms  

1. Announce the end of a communication, especially a broadcast. For example, There's no one there now; the station has signed off for the night . [c. 1920]

2. Stop talking, become silent, as in Every time the subject of marriage came up, Harold signed off . [ Colloquial ; mid-1900s]

3. Express approval formally or conclusively, as in The President got the majority leader to sign off on the tax proposal . This usage is colloquial.

---

Etymology

Origin of sign-off

First recorded in 1925–30; noun use of verb phrase sign off

Example Sentences

Regardless, without the administration’s sign-off, the Nexstar-Tegna deal would undoubtedly fail to go through.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 19, 2026

A similar sign-off process exists for other policy decisions at DHS.

From Salon • Mar. 5, 2026

A key distinction between administrative subpoenas and civil or criminal ones is that federal agencies do not need a judge’s sign-off.

From Slate • Feb. 5, 2026

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill last year that would have extended the decal program until 2027, but the bill needed a sign-off from both Congress and President Trump.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 1, 2025

Her sign-off was “Join me next week, because y’all know life can get messy.”

From "Hope Springs" by Jaime Berry

Related Words

• break
• cease
• close
• drop
• end
• halt
• hold
• kill
• pause
• put an end to
• quit
• stall
• stand
• stay