come off as

phrase

: 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

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

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

Rhymes for come off as

• has
• jazz
• topaz
• whereas