1
as in wrong
falling short of a standard the milk tasted off
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2
as in dormant
not being in a state of use, activity, or employment the computer is off, so you'll have to turn it on in order to use it
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3
as in erroneous
not being in agreement with what is true that claim that everyone is actually related to everyone else seems a bit off
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4
as in small
small in degree on the off chance that you do get straight A's, you can skip a grade
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5
as in spicy
hinting at or intended to call to mind matters regarded as indecent a telltale smirk suggested that there was something off about his parting shot
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as in to assassinate
to put to death deliberately the hit man was rumored to have offed at least three people in the last year alone
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Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of off
Shea Simmons, Southern Living, 21 Apr. 2026 The pair managed to get back on the scooter and ride off, but Greene broke his leg in the crash and needed medical attention. —Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 21 Apr. 2026
Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 15 Apr. 2026 In effort to ease the mental burden, the Tigers tried to negotiate on either off days or games when McGonigle was not in the lineup. —Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2026
Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 4 Dec. 2025 The equivalent of a soccer ball is enough to off a seal or dolphin. —Nathan Rott, NPR, 20 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for off
Adverb
Right now, Wayfair has dining sets, comfy chairs, and storage up to 76 percent off. —Shea Simmons, Southern Living, 21 Apr. 2026 The pair managed to get back on the scooter and ride off, but Greene broke his leg in the crash and needed medical attention. —Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 21 Apr. 2026
Adjective
Lindsey, a redshirt sophomore, bounced back from an off practice when media members last watched on April 7. —Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 15 Apr. 2026 In effort to ease the mental burden, the Tigers tried to negotiate on either off days or games when McGonigle was not in the lineup. —Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2026
Verb
Powell stars as a man offing his obscenely wealthy family to resecure an inheritance. —Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 4 Dec. 2025 The equivalent of a soccer ball is enough to off a seal or dolphin. —Nathan Rott, NPR, 20 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for off
Adverb
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Missy Bo Kearns Made her debut as a substitute away at Spain last year — a baptism of fire — and was in consecutive England squads after Euro 2025, starting against Ghana in December.— Megan Feringa, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2026
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Excited, yet anxious, over the prospect of reconnecting with the man that got away, the pair fortifies themselves with cocktails and bubbly during a boozy dinner.— Brent Lang, Variety, 20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Now 43-38, Charlotte has lost ground this week with difficult losses to Boston and Detroit that followed the same blueprint, as the Hornets fell off a cliff in the fourth quarter at the wrong time.— Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 11 Apr. 2026
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Overfertilizing Fertilizing too much or at the wrong time could potentially damage plant roots, leading to leaf damage and eventual drop.— Alexandra Jones, The Spruce, 11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The area also contains over 900 active or dormant volcanoes, which is about two-thirds of the world’s total.— Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 20 Apr. 2026
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Avoid fertilizing late in the year, as the foliage will be killed back by frost and the plant will be going dormant.— Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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This story has been updated to remove erroneous information on funding for the Boulevard Green project and to correct details on the trip to Dallas.— Olivia Wakim, AJC.com, 17 Apr. 2026
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American Express is pledging to protect users from erroneous transactions made by agents that are registered with Amex.— Jack Kubinec, Fortune, 14 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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It was found [that] the actual tumor was pretty small.— Meredith Wilshere, PEOPLE, 18 Apr. 2026
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Then, the family says two others broke through a small window, manhandled their dogs and stole priceless mementos handed down through their family over generations, along with the cash.— Nicole Comstock, CBS News, 18 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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No one’s workday was ever overturned by a spicy Cook tweet.— Jim Edwards, Fortune, 21 Apr. 2026
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The postgame scene eloquently explained why this series has become greasy, if not spicy.— Troy Renck, Denver Post, 21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Utah Valley University has dropped its commencement speaker, Sharon McMahon, after conservative groups criticized her over past comments about Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated on campus during his American Comeback Tour in September.— Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 17 Apr. 2026
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The same forces also assassinated Lebanon’s president-elect, Bashir Gemayel, in 1982 and Lebanon’s former Prime Minister Rafic Hariri in 2005.— New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 17 Apr. 2026
Adverb
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It can easily be dressed up or down with the right bottoms and accessories, like a denim skirt or leggings with sandals to complete your look for any occasion.— Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 21 Apr. 2026
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Climate fund dry powder stood at $90 billion in this year’s first quarter, down from a $112 billion peak in the same period last year, according to a new Sightline Climate report.— Natasha Bracken, semafor.com, 21 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/thesaurus/off. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
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