wide of the mark
idiom
: not accurate or correct : not achieving the desired result
Their estimates were completely wide of the mark.
The results of the fund-raising were wide of the mark.
Examples of wide of the mark in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Tellingly, the duel produces no clear victor: both fire wide of the mark.
—
Nathan Jeffers, Hazlitt, 28 Feb. 2024
And comparisons to 2019’s record-breaking global box office are wide of the mark for Acuna.
—Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Feb. 2024
Although the common throwaway comments that Ligue 1 is a farmers’ league are wide of the mark, its teams are falling short when matched up with rivals abroad.
—Henry Flynn, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024
Reports late last week suggesting the Big Ten football championship game could be bound for Las Vegas are wide of the mark, according to the conference.
—Zach Osterman, The Indianapolis Star, 14 Aug. 2023
To be fair, many non-Russian analysts were also wide of the mark.
—Thomas E. Ricks, New York Times, 13 July 2023
In his view, popular critiques of industrial farming are often wide of the mark; in truth, technological advances are making farming less damaging to the environment.
—Robert Paarlberg, Foreign Affairs, 20 Apr. 2021
People routinely compared her to icons and saints, from Nelson Mandela to Mother Teresa to Joan of Arc, but every such comparison, while lofty and loving, also felt wide of the mark.
—Time, 10 Jan. 2023
Many futurological projects that were launched after World War II were wide of the mark for a reason that Lem understood well.
—Andrew Cockburn, Harper’s Magazine , 6 Jan. 2023
Nathan Jeffers, Hazlitt, 28 Feb. 2024
And comparisons to 2019’s record-breaking global box office are wide of the mark for Acuna.
—Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Feb. 2024
Although the common throwaway comments that Ligue 1 is a farmers’ league are wide of the mark, its teams are falling short when matched up with rivals abroad.
—Henry Flynn, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024
Reports late last week suggesting the Big Ten football championship game could be bound for Las Vegas are wide of the mark, according to the conference.
—Zach Osterman, The Indianapolis Star, 14 Aug. 2023
To be fair, many non-Russian analysts were also wide of the mark.
—Thomas E. Ricks, New York Times, 13 July 2023
In his view, popular critiques of industrial farming are often wide of the mark; in truth, technological advances are making farming less damaging to the environment.
—Robert Paarlberg, Foreign Affairs, 20 Apr. 2021
People routinely compared her to icons and saints, from Nelson Mandela to Mother Teresa to Joan of Arc, but every such comparison, while lofty and loving, also felt wide of the mark.
—Time, 10 Jan. 2023
Many futurological projects that were launched after World War II were wide of the mark for a reason that Lem understood well.
—Andrew Cockburn, Harper’s Magazine , 6 Jan. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wide of the mark.' 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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“Wide of the mark.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wide%20of%20the%20mark. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
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