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

Sun purchased a total of seventy-five million dollars’ worth of World Liberty tokens, and signed on as an adviser to the company. — David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 2 July 2026

In January, OneFlight International signed on as the official private aviation partner of the McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 Team. — Doug Gollan, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026

Roberts once signed on to a Kagan dissent that assailed the shadow docket. — Ken B. Morales, ProPublica, 1 July 2026

Liccardo has focused on working across the aisle since being elected in 2024 and said that having Timmons and Salazar sign on will help the legislation move forward. — Grace Hase, Mercury News, 1 July 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