sound off

verb

sounded off; sounding off; sounds off

intransitive verb

1
: to play three chords before and after marching up and down a line of troops during a ceremonial parade or formal guard mount
2
: to count cadence while marching
3
a
: to speak up in a loud voice
b
: to voice one's opinions freely and vigorously

Examples of sound off in a Sentence

she never missed a chance to sound off about the latest “stupid” political decisions the guard captain commanded each sentry to sound off
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Costco members on a Reddit page devoted to Costco gossip also sounded off about the new drink. Peter Burke, FOXNews.com, 8 June 2025 Videos from the scene show plumes of smoke, blown out windows on nearby buildings, and sirens sounding off. Zoe Sottile, CNN Money, 17 May 2025 After some initial reluctance, Bruce Springsteen has increasingly sounded off about the presidential administrations of Donald J. Trump. Jem Aswad, Variety, 14 May 2025 Giannotti sounded off on the biggest issues the Knicks had and pointed to part of the problem being Karl-Anthony Towns’ performance during the year and on top of his annual salary. Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 4 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for sound off

Word History

First Known Use

1909, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of sound off was in 1909

Cite this Entry

“Sound off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sound%20off. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

sound off

verb
1
: to count while marching
2
: to voice one's opinions freely with force
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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