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.
Security was intense and the gathering area before the march was completely sealed off. — Theia Chatelle, Sun Sentinel, 8 June 2026 Sometimes a deep cavity close to a tooth’s nerve can be sealed off, a little like an Egyptian tomb, in an approach called selective caries removal. — The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 May 2026 Both the tinder storage and ferro tube sections of the Pen-metheus are sealed off with O-rings to prevent any moisture penetration. — New Atlas, 22 June 2026 Authorities have sealed off the region near the epicenter and deployed thousands of troops, as residents say official rescuers are scarce. — Regina Garcia Cano, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 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 7 Jul. 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!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

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

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

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

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
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All