sign-off

or sign·off

[ sahyn-awf, -of ]

/ ˈsaɪnˌɔf, -ˌɒf /

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See synonyms for sign-off on Thesaurus.com

noun

the act or fact of signing off.

personal approval or authorization; endorsement.

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“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.

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Origin of sign-off

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

Words nearby sign-off

signing, signiory, sign language, sign manual, sign of aggregation, sign-off, sign of the cross, sign of the zodiac, sign-on, sign one's own death warrant, sign on the dotted line

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use sign-off in a sentence

They are always suspended over a precipice, dangling by a slender thread that shows every sign of snapping.
How the PC Police Threaten Free Speech|Nick Gillespie|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Although the blood-spattered offices will be off-limits, staff have vowed to continue producing the magazine.
France Mourns—and Hunts|Nico Hines, Christopher Dickey|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
A passing off-duty school safety officer named Fred Lucas said that he had been told the man was a drug dealer.
Shot Down During the NYPD Slowdown|Michael Daly|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
It was hard not to take it as a sign, a personal comment on my own Jewish dating failings.
My Week on Jewish Tinder|Emily Shire|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST

The NOPD fired Knight in 1973 for stealing lumber from a construction site as an off-duty cop.
The Louisiana Racists Who Courted Steve Scalise|Jason Berry|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
A far-off volley rumbled over the plain, and a few birds stirred uneasily among the trees.
The Red Year|Louis Tracy
Its continued presence in pulmonary tuberculosis is, however, a grave prognostic sign, even when the physical signs are slight.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
Idly his pen traced upon the paper in front of him a large X, the sign of the unknown quantity.
Uncanny Tales|Various
Here they are seldom abundant, but their constant presence is the most reliable urinary sign of the disease.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
Waxy casts are found in most advanced cases of nephritis, where they are an unfavorable sign.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd

British Dictionary definitions for sign-off

sign off

verb (adverb)

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

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

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

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

(intr) British to terminate one's claim to unemployment benefit

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with sign-off

sign off

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]

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

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