send off
3 meanings
post something or send it through the mail
What does "send off" mean in this sense?
Examples
- I need to send off this application by Friday.
- Have you sent the documents off yet? The deadline is tomorrow.
- She sent her CV off to three companies last week and is waiting to hear back.
How to use it
The most common structure, used when the object is a noun phrase such as a letter, form, or parcel.
I need to send off the application before the deadline.
The object can be placed between the verb and 'off', especially with short noun phrases — this is very natural and common.
He sent the cheque off this morning, so it should arrive by Thursday.
When the object is a pronoun, it must go between 'send' and 'off' — it cannot come after 'off'.
I've finished the form — I'll send it off after lunch.
The passive form works well, especially in more formal or administrative situations where the person who sent the item is not important.
The documents were sent off by courier on Monday.
You can specify where or to whom the item is being dispatched by adding 'to' and the destination.
She sent off her CV to several companies last week.
Common Collocations
Common Mistakes
When you use a pronoun like 'it' or 'them', it must go between 'send' and 'off'. Placing it after 'off' is ungrammatical.
'Send out' is used when you are distributing something to many people at once, while 'send off' focuses on dispatching a single item to a specific destination. They are not always interchangeable.
When the object is a long noun phrase, it sounds more natural to keep 'send off' together rather than splitting it. Separation works best with short objects and pronouns.
Usage
This phrasal verb is more common in British English; American speakers often prefer 'mail out' or 'send out'. It is neutral in register and works equally well in spoken conversation and informal writing such as emails.
gather to say goodbye to someone leaving on a trip
Sense 2: What does "send sb off" mean?
Examples
- The whole family came to the airport to send her off on her year abroad.
- Hundreds of fans gathered at the station to send off the national team.
- He was sent off with a wonderful party after thirty years at the company.
How to use it
This construction is very common and makes the farewell purpose of the journey explicit.
Dozens of friends came to the airport to send him off on his new adventure.
When the object is a pronoun, it must always go between the verb and particle.
She had worked there for twenty years, so we all wanted to send her off properly.
Short noun phrases, especially referring to specific people or groups, naturally sit between the verb and particle.
The crowd gathered at the harbour to send the sailors off before dawn.
When the object is a longer or more complex noun phrase, it follows the particle rather than appearing in the middle.
The whole town came out to send off the athletes who had trained there for years.
The passive is natural with this verb, often followed by a phrase describing the style or spirit of the farewell.
After thirty years at the firm, she was sent off with a standing ovation and flowers.
Common Collocations
Common Mistakes
When the object is a pronoun like 'him', 'her', or 'them', it must go between the verb and particle. Placing it after the particle is ungrammatical in English.
'Send off' also means to post something (a letter, a parcel) or, in British sports, to dismiss a player from the game. Context usually makes it clear, but learners should check whether the object is a person being farewelled — that's the key signal for this meaning.
Usage
This sense (saying goodbye to someone leaving) is neutral and works in both spoken and written English. Note that 'send off' also means to post a letter or dismiss a sports player, so context is important.
order a player to leave the field as a punishment
Sense 3: What does "send sb off" mean?
Examples
- The referee sent off the goalkeeper for handling the ball outside the penalty area.
- Two players were sent off in the second half, leaving both teams with ten men.
- He was already on a yellow card, so the referee sent him off for that foul.
How to use it
The most common structure, with the referee as subject and the player as object — either a noun or pronoun.
The referee sent off the striker after a reckless challenge from behind.
When the object is a pronoun, it almost always goes between 'send' and 'off' — this is the natural form in live commentary.
He was already on a yellow card, so the referee sent him off immediately.
The passive is very common, especially in match reports written from the player's perspective. The reason is often added with 'for'.
The captain was sent off for violent conduct in the closing minutes of the game.
Use 'for' to specify the reason why the player was dismissed.
The referee sent off the goalkeeper for handling the ball well outside the penalty area.
Learners and fans often use 'get sent off' informally to describe what happened to a player from their point of view.
Their best midfielder got sent off after picking up a second yellow card.
Common Collocations
Common Mistakes
'Take off' means a coach removes a player as a tactical substitution and the player can be replaced. 'Send off' is a punishment by the referee, and the player cannot be replaced. These two are not interchangeable.
Only a referee (or other match official) can send a player off — not a manager, coach, or club. Using the wrong subject makes the sentence sound unnatural.
Outside a sports context, 'send off' usually means to dispatch something by post. Always use a person as the object and provide sports context to make the disciplinary meaning clear.
Usage
This meaning is specific to sport, mainly football. Outside a sports context, 'send off' usually means to post or dispatch something, so always make the context clear.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'send off' more British or American English?
'Send off' is more common in British English. American speakers tend to say 'mail out' or 'drop something in the mail' instead. If you are writing to an American audience, 'send out' or 'mail' might sound more natural, but 'send off' is widely understood.
Does 'send off' always need an object?
Yes, in this meaning — dispatching something — you always need to say what is being sent. You cannot just say 'I sent off' without specifying the item. The object can come before or after 'off', but it must be there.
Can I use 'send off' for emails, or only physical post?
You can use it for both. While it is very common with physical items like letters, parcels, and forms, it also works naturally with emails and digital documents. For example, 'I'll send off the report by email this afternoon' is perfectly natural.
Does 'send off' have another meaning I should know about?
Yes — 'send off' can also mean a referee dismissing a player from a sports field, particularly in football. This is a completely different meaning and is easy to tell apart because it involves people, not items being posted or dispatched.
What kinds of things can you 'send off'?
The most common objects used with this phrasal verb are things like applications, letters, forms, parcels, packages, CVs, payments, cheques, and documents. Basically, anything you post, mail, or dispatch to a specific person or address.
Does 'send off' always involve a group of people, or can one person do it alone?
One person can absolutely send someone off — for example, 'I went to the station to send her off.' That said, 'send off' often implies a more communal or ceremonial farewell, so it's particularly common when describing a crowd or group. If you want to emphasise a more personal, one-to-one goodbye, 'see off' can feel slightly more natural, though both are widely used.
What's the difference between 'send off' and 'see off' in this meaning?
They are nearly synonymous in the farewell sense and are often interchangeable. The subtle difference is that 'send off' tends to suggest a slightly more ceremonial or collective goodbye, while 'see off' can feel more personal. In practice, most speakers use them without making this distinction consciously.
Can I use 'send off' in the present continuous, like 'We are sending them off right now'?
It sounds a little awkward unless you're describing an ongoing farewell event that's actively happening — for example, a departure ceremony that's in progress. In most cases, you'd be more likely to use the simple present or simple past: 'We sent them off this morning' or 'They went to send him off.' The present continuous is not impossible, but it's rarely the most natural choice.
Is the noun 'send-off' related to this meaning?
Yes, directly. A 'send-off' is the farewell event or occasion itself — for example, 'They gave her a fantastic send-off after twenty years at the company.' It's very commonly used alongside the phrasal verb and is a natural part of everyday English, both spoken and written.
What kinds of objects or situations naturally go with this sense of 'send off'?
Typical contexts include saying goodbye to someone at an airport, train station, or port; farewelling a colleague at a retirement party; waving off a sports team before a competition; or seeing troops depart. The object is always a person or group of people — if the object is a thing like a letter or parcel, the phrasal verb is being used in a completely different sense (meaning to post or dispatch something).
Does 'send off' always mean a disciplinary action in sport? I've heard it used in other ways.
No — 'send off' has more than one meaning. In a sports context with a person as the object, it means a referee punishes a player by ordering them off the pitch. Outside sport, 'send off' most commonly means to post or dispatch something. The context usually makes the meaning clear.
Can I say a player was 'sent off' in any sport, or just football?
It's most strongly associated with football (soccer), but you'll also hear it used in rugby and some other team sports that have referees with the power to eject players. In sports where this doesn't happen, you'd use different expressions.
Is 'sent off' the same as receiving a red card?
In football, yes — the two are closely linked. A player who is sent off receives a red card, and a player who receives a red card is sent off. The phrases are often used together, but 'sent off' focuses on the action of leaving the field while 'red card' refers to the physical signal the referee makes.
Can I use 'send off' in the present tense, or does it sound strange?
The present tense is actually very natural in live match commentary, where it's used to describe events as they happen: 'And the referee sends him off!' In match reports or everyday conversation about a past game, the simple past or passive ('was sent off') is more typical.
What kinds of offences cause a player to be sent off?
Common reasons include a dangerous or reckless tackle, violent conduct, a professional foul, serious foul play, or receiving two yellow cards in the same match. These collocations come up frequently in sports journalism and commentary, so learning them together with 'send off' is very useful.
Related Phrasal Verbs
Ready to practise?
Practise 1,000+ English phrasal verbs with interactive gap-fill exercises.
Start Practising →