How to Use signal in a Sentence

signal

1 of 2 noun
  • The teacher gave us the signal to finish what we were working on and hand in our tests.
  • Faulty wiring in the train station caused a signal to malfunction.
  • He likes her but he is sending the wrong signals with his constant teasing.
  • Don’t push through mixed signals — stop and clear them up!
    — Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 26 Feb. 2026
  • So, our body knows to send signals to our brain to say stop.
    — Kara Alaimo, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2025
  • Trump signals a long war with Iran.
    — Jim Edwards, Fortune, 24 Apr. 2026
  • And comfort is not a signal to stay.
    — Stephanie Dillon, Rolling Stone, 15 Apr. 2026
  • This is your signal to slow down and listen.
    — Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 29 Sep. 2025
  • These are early signals of what’s to come.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 8 Oct. 2025
  • Saleh was asked who is having their signals stolen.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 30 Sep. 2025
  • Bettors, though, think the news is an all clear signal.
    — Davis Giangiulio, CNBC, 24 Apr. 2026
  • Right now, the signal is a warning.
    — Scott Nations, CNBC, 25 Feb. 2026
  • The degree is no longer enough; the skill is the new signal.
    — Jason Wingard, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
  • In this case, those signals travel as light.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 5 Mar. 2026
  • The queen’s staffers couldn’t always be on hand to watch for her signals.
    — Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 10 Mar. 2026
  • And the signal is getting stronger.
    — Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 2 Apr. 2026
  • Showing up when there’s no signal.
    — Jessica Billingsley, Rolling Stone, 17 Apr. 2026
  • The sale was a clear signal that a market for the artist exists.
    — Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 15 Apr. 2026
  • But once again, there are all sorts of things in the way that affect that signal once more.
    — Big Think, 6 Mar. 2026
  • That could be a signal that the pace of layoffs is slowing.
    — Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2026
  • Night shift work flips that signal, and the consequences add up fast.
    — Allison Palmer, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 May 2026
  • If some guests miss the signals, remain polite but firm.
    — Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Nov. 2025
  • And, there are already some early signals on this front.
    — Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 26 Mar. 2026
  • The second is to move on signals, not proxies.
    — Varun Milind Kulkarni, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
  • And what happens when signals get crossed early on?
    — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 4 Sep. 2025
  • That’s the signal worth watching.
    — Achal Singi, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
  • This is a paradise with no roads, no phone signal — and almost no tourists.
    — Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 24 Jan. 2026
  • Here’s what scouts have gotten right and wrong about the top signal callers.
    — Chris Branch, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
  • It's even been said that finding one of these beetles in your home signals good luck.
    — Patricia S York, Southern Living, 25 Sep. 2025
  • And in that space, important signals can get lost.
    — Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 1 May 2026

signal

2 of 2 verb
  • The umpire signaled a strike.
  • Robins signal the arrival of spring.
  • They signaled at me to come over to their table.
  • Did he signal before he made the left turn?
  • He signaled us that it was time to begin the meeting.
  • The election results surely signal the start of a new era.
  • A lock on the suitcase might signal that there's something of value inside.
  • But that may not be a bad thing, and could signal a fresh start.
    — Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 31 Oct. 2025
  • But the moment signaled more than a one-off event.
    — Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 28 June 2026
  • Ted signals a need to dive deeper, faster.
    — Ryan Craig, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
  • That alone signals this isn’t just a cash-grab redo.
    — Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 25 Mar. 2026
  • The act signals a shift in her power and her purpose.
    — Jp Mangalindan, Time, 30 Oct. 2025
  • Both players went down and Claus did not signal a foul or pull card.
    — Kevin Baxter, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 July 2026
  • And the decision might signal who holds all the cards.
    — Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 1 Apr. 2026
  • Burch said that kind of pattern can signal weak oversight.
    — Teresa Liu, Daily News, 18 Apr. 2026
  • Demand is signaled, not chased.
    — Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
  • But what if all these shifts didn’t have to signal grief or confusion?
    — Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 9 Oct. 2025
  • Along with low energy, your thoughts about food could signal a need for change.
    — Maggie O'Neill, Health, 12 Jan. 2024
  • His attacks signaled to other groypers to pile on.
    — Donie O'Sullivan, CNN Money, 6 June 2026
  • Can this signal a resurgence of Club name Nike ?
    — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2025
  • The White House has signaled more cases may be on the way.
    — Carrie Johnson, NPR, 16 Oct. 2025
  • Call it fame, celebrity, or just virtue-signaling.
    — Arkansas Online, 20 Mar. 2026
  • Clear signal that the AI boom hasn’t faded.
    — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 9 Apr. 2026
  • The Great Turnover doesn’t signal the collapse of work.
    — Kara Dennison, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
  • One of the publicists then stood, signaling me to wrap it up.
    — Lindsey Underwood, Vanity Fair, 17 Apr. 2026
  • Prenups were once seen as a bad omen, signaling a lack of commitment.
    — Julia Rodgers, Fortune, 3 Oct. 2025
  • Here was a chance for the Braves to signal that things aren’t so bad with their pitching staff.
    — Michael Cunningham, AJC.com, 18 Feb. 2026
  • So things are cooking for this old healthcare stock and price is signaling that.
    — Josh Brown,sean Russo, CNBC, 6 July 2026
  • The healthy protein helps block the bad protein and turn off its signaling.
    — Bloomberg, Oc Register, 29 May 2026
  • Santana and Nemeth shook hands, signaling the match was on.
    — Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 13 June 2026

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'signal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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