: proper or usual state or condition : order
out of kilter
Synonyms
Examples of kilter in a Sentence
since I dropped my food processor, it's been all out of kilter
Recent Examples on the Web
In the 2010s, the second Mercury mission, Messenger, documented that the planet’s magnetic field is off kilter.
—
Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Apr. 2024
The goal of terrorist violence is often to throw a more powerful state off kilter and incite bloodshed.
—Shivshankar Menon, Foreign Affairs, 16 Nov. 2023
Multiple fence panels are missing, and the ones that were left standing are off kilter.
—Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 9 Nov. 2023
The action takes place on a luxurious cruise ship and things start going off kilter when a dead body is found floating in the rooftop pool.
—Abid Rahman, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Oct. 2023
Her interrogative installations use collage, painting and light to create off kilter realities laced with social commentary.
—Briana Miller, oregonlive, 8 Sep. 2023
Many of them became homeless after an event that kicked a fragile financial situation off kilter.
—Paloma Esquivel, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2023
The fact Burrow was off kilter last week wasn’t entirely surprising.
—Mark Heim | Mheim@al.com, al, 17 Sep. 2023
The strikes continue to throw Hollywood off kilter.
—Matthew Gilbert, BostonGlobe.com, 28 July 2023
Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Apr. 2024
The goal of terrorist violence is often to throw a more powerful state off kilter and incite bloodshed.
—Shivshankar Menon, Foreign Affairs, 16 Nov. 2023
Multiple fence panels are missing, and the ones that were left standing are off kilter.
—Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 9 Nov. 2023
The action takes place on a luxurious cruise ship and things start going off kilter when a dead body is found floating in the rooftop pool.
—Abid Rahman, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Oct. 2023
Her interrogative installations use collage, painting and light to create off kilter realities laced with social commentary.
—Briana Miller, oregonlive, 8 Sep. 2023
Many of them became homeless after an event that kicked a fragile financial situation off kilter.
—Paloma Esquivel, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2023
The fact Burrow was off kilter last week wasn’t entirely surprising.
—Mark Heim | Mheim@al.com, al, 17 Sep. 2023
The strikes continue to throw Hollywood off kilter.
—Matthew Gilbert, BostonGlobe.com, 28 July 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'kilter.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near kilter
Cite this Entry
“Kilter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kilter. Accessed 29 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
kilter
noun
kil·ter
ˈkil-tər 
: proper condition
the TV is out of kilter
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