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

“A transaction of this magnitude, which includes new and novel issues before the FCC, demands open deliberation before the full Commission, not a quiet sign-off meant to avoid public scrutiny,” Gomez said in a statement.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 19, 2026

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

In formal terms it is the sign-off from the sovereign.

From BBC • Feb. 26, 2026

She used Immie’s favorite words, her slang, her sign-off, her “kind ofs” and “maybes.”

From "Genuine Fraud" by E. Lockhart

Related Words

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