come off as
idiom
: to seem to be (a specified quality or character)
He's really just shy, but he comes off as a little arrogant.
He came off as a stuffy old man.
Examples of come off as in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The effect doesn’t come off as gimmicky, but rather makes for a deeply poignant story, told largely in Fox’s own words.
—
Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post, 9 May 2023
In any case, E.B. doesn’t come off as a character about to enter a chrysalis and emerge a butterfly.
—Matt Zoller Seitz, Vulture, 20 Dec. 2021
But some bits, like Rogers missing his daughter’s recital while trying to seal the deal, come off as cliché.
—WIRED, 31 Mar. 2023
His evident pride in his films doesn’t come off as arrogant so much as affable, and even his humblebrags are couched in introspection.
—Adam Nayman, The New Yorker, 2 Feb. 2023
Complementary colors blue and orange can come off as strong, but when used in grayed-back tones like the blues and oranges in this space, the palette manages to be eye-catching, but not overwhelming.
—Marisa Donnelly, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Jan. 2023
Her character is composed of intriguing contradictions, which come off as all the more human in the actor’s hands.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 21 Jan. 2023
That’s why so many dance scenes come off as awkward: The actors are just doing the zombie shuffle, moving to no background noise at all.
—Kenny Loggins, Vulture, 8 June 2022
But unlike some of his fellow combatants, Mr. Leo was too funny a writer to come off as a complete bluenose.
—New York Times, 11 May 2022
Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post, 9 May 2023
In any case, E.B. doesn’t come off as a character about to enter a chrysalis and emerge a butterfly.
—Matt Zoller Seitz, Vulture, 20 Dec. 2021
But some bits, like Rogers missing his daughter’s recital while trying to seal the deal, come off as cliché.
—WIRED, 31 Mar. 2023
His evident pride in his films doesn’t come off as arrogant so much as affable, and even his humblebrags are couched in introspection.
—Adam Nayman, The New Yorker, 2 Feb. 2023
Complementary colors blue and orange can come off as strong, but when used in grayed-back tones like the blues and oranges in this space, the palette manages to be eye-catching, but not overwhelming.
—Marisa Donnelly, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Jan. 2023
Her character is composed of intriguing contradictions, which come off as all the more human in the actor’s hands.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 21 Jan. 2023
That’s why so many dance scenes come off as awkward: The actors are just doing the zombie shuffle, moving to no background noise at all.
—Kenny Loggins, Vulture, 8 June 2022
But unlike some of his fellow combatants, Mr. Leo was too funny a writer to come off as a complete bluenose.
—New York Times, 11 May 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'come off as.' 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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“Come off as.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/come%20off%20as. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
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