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send off

B1 neutral separable transitive
In simple words

To put something in the post, to say goodbye to someone leaving, or (in football) when a player is made to leave the game by the referee.

Meanings

1 A2 neutral

To post or dispatch a letter, package, or document.

"I need to send off these invoices before the end of the week."

Grammar: separable
2 B1 idiomatic neutral

To give a farewell to someone who is departing, often with a celebration or ceremony.

"His colleagues gave him a wonderful send-off when he retired after thirty years."

Grammar: separable
3 B1 idiomatic neutral

(Sport) For a referee to order a player to leave the field of play, usually after a serious foul.

"The referee sent off the striker for a dangerous tackle in the second half."

Grammar: separable
4 B1 neutral

To send someone away to a place, especially a child to school or camp.

"Her parents sent her off to boarding school when she was eleven."

Grammar: separable
Usage notes

The sporting sense (referee dismissing a player) is very common in British English. The postal sense is slightly old-fashioned but still used.

Commonly used with

letter parcel player application troops cheque

Forms

Base
send off
I/you/we/they
3rd person
sends off
he/she/it
Past simple
sent off
yesterday
Past participle
sent off
have + pp
-ing form
sending off
continuous

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Synonyms

dispatch post mail dismiss expel farewell

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