seal off

verb

sealed off; sealing off; seals off

transitive verb

: to close tightly

Examples of seal off in a Sentence

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.
Extremist Israeli settlers attacked the home for days and the Israeli military has now sealed off the area. — Frank Langfitt, NPR, 17 Aug. 2026 Goode had a sack but was among several defenders sealed off on a long run. — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 16 Aug. 2026 A couple in crisis wakes to find their apartment sealed off by a mysterious, unbreakable substance. — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 14 Aug. 2026 That’s the same principle behind the tape trick, which seals off the scar entirely. — Lauren Schuster, Kansas City Star, 6 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for seal off

Word History

First Known Use

1931, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of seal off was in 1931

Rhymes for seal off

See All Rhymes for seal off

Browse Nearby Words

seal of approval
seal off
seal oil
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Seal off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/seal%20off. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

seal off

verb
: to close tightly
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of august

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 21

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
alt-684346df967d5
Add A Letter Quiz Pick the letter that goes in the same spot in fou...
See All