signpost

1 of 2

noun

sign·​post ˈsīn-ˌpōst How to pronounce signpost (audio)
1
: a post (as at the fork of a road) with signs on it to direct travelers
2
3

signpost

2 of 2

verb

signposted; signposting; signposts

transitive verb

: to provide with or as if with signposts or guides

Examples of signpost in a Sentence

Noun The signpost says it is 10 miles to the city. Verb The road from here to London is well signposted.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Her abandonment was more like a signpost, something that pointed her to a brambly but invigorating path. Hillary Kelly, The New Yorker, 21 Feb. 2024 And yet, more than eight years later, that night has the feel both of a signpost of what was to come and an encapsulation of how it would be achieved. Rory Smith, New York Times, 26 Jan. 2024 Initial uncertainty, reasonable belief, rigorous execution, but open to signposts is what leads me personally now to the infamous pivot. Neil Senturia, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Dec. 2023 That groping for signposts in a fogbound landscape was on display in remarks by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Tuesday morning. Mark Landler, New York Times, 6 Feb. 2024 Blessings are signposts to the sacraments, not substitutes for them. Madeleine Kearns, National Review, 24 Dec. 2023 That's the signpost up ahead — your next stop, the Twilight Zone! Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 21 Apr. 2023 Residents prefer the rugged natural paths marked by signposts and blazes courtesy of the local Scout troop, Weiland said. Jillian Atelsek, Washington Post, 29 Nov. 2023 Stones and seashells for people killed in the Sept. 11 attacks began appearing at a signpost at Guantánamo Bay a few years ago, not far from the courtroom for war crimes cases. Carol Rosenberg, New York Times, 18 Nov. 2023
Verb
Moon is not so interested, though, in having to signpost everything. Mark Holgate, Vogue, 16 Feb. 2024 The shift in Hong Kong’s government is signposted by a scene in the last episode where workers on bamboo scaffolding remove a neon sign, a mainstay of Hong Kong’s visual identity. Jireh Deng, Los Angeles Times, 25 Jan. 2024 But everything in Suncoast is so carefully signposted that there are no surprises. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Jan. 2024 Two hundred seventy-two miles of scenery are signposted by pretty blue and orange ribbons circumnavigating the island, representing the ocean and those ubiquitous mandarins. Gary Shteyngart, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Nov. 2023 The mom of two was taken to the William Harvey Hospital in Ashford, England, before being transferred to a signposting unit where she was further assessed, according to SWNS. Brittany Kasko, Fox News, 26 Sep. 2023 But today both are considered collector’s items among crate-digging hip-hop and electronica fans, signposted by artists like Daphni, Pete Rock, and Jay Dilla via samples or references. Martin Guttridge-Hewitt, SPIN, 3 Apr. 2023 There’s no road leading to the sculpture and the tracks that criss-cross nearby desert aren’t clearly signposted. Barry Neild, CNN, 14 Mar. 2023 And the story the clothes told this fashion week was one of redefinition: a change in the hierarchy of aspiration and wealth, the sartorial codes that signpost power and success. Vanessa Friedman, New York Times, 16 Feb. 2023

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

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1597, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1884, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of signpost was in 1597

Dictionary Entries Near signpost

Cite this Entry

“Signpost.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/signpost. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

signpost

noun
sign·​post
ˈsīn-ˌpōst
1
: a post with signs on it to direct travelers
2
: something that points the way

More from Merriam-Webster on signpost

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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