sign on

verb

signed on; signing on; signs on

intransitive verb

1

: to engage oneself by or as if by a signature

signed on to the new project

2

: to announce the start of broadcasting for the day

sign-on

ˈsī-ˌnȯn 

-ˌnän

noun

Synonyms of sign on

• sign up (for)
• join
• enter
• enroll (in)
• rejoin
• enlist (in)

Examples of sign on in a Sentence

I signed on for the crew team simply as a lark

Recent Examples on the Web

Ehrenreich, who’d never been in a music video before, got the script and signed on immediately. — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 7 Aug. 2026

The one thing Sink can’t reveal is how many Marvel movies she’s signed on for. — Angelique Jackson, Variety, 7 Aug. 2026

And signing on to play Bourdain means signing up for plenty of scrutiny. — Seija Rankin, HollywoodReporter, 6 Aug. 2026

Following the end of Wizards of Waverly Place, Austin signed on to star in The Fosters, a drama series, from 2013 to 2015. — Grace Gavilanes, PEOPLE, 4 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1879, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for sign on

• anton
• argon
• axon
• baronne
• baryon
• baton
• boron
• buisson
• bygone
• capon
• cardon
• chiffon

Kids Definition

sign on

verb

(ˈ)sī-ˈnȯn, 

-ˈnän

1

: to hire oneself by or as if by a signature

signed on as a member of the crew

2

: to announce the beginning of broadcasting