come off

verb

came off; come off; coming off; comes off

intransitive verb

1

a

: to acquit oneself : fare

came off well in the contest

b

: appear, seem

2

: succeed

His plans to start a business never came off.

3

: happen, occur

4

US, informal

—used in phrases like where do you come off? to express anger or annoyance at what someone has said or done

Marie was bent over the table now, reading, her piping girlish voice hot with indignation. "Where does she come off, anyway?"

—T. Coraghessan Boyle

transitive verb

1

: to have recently completed or recovered from

coming off a good year

2

: to have recently stopped using (an illegal drug)

an addict who is coming off heroin

Synonyms of come off

• happen
• be
• come
• come to pass
• occur
• come down

Examples of come off in a Sentence

couldn't believe that the wedding would actually come off—they've been “just dating” for years

the attempted revival of the city's downtown never really came off, and even more stores eventually closed

Recent Examples on the Web

Goalkeeper Isabell Ikirt stopped a shot by Oconee County’s Sydney Jackson, prompting celebration by Jefferson, but the Dragons were told Ikirt had come off the line. —Sarah Spencer, AJC.com, 13 May 2026

The Russian star is coming off a solid bounce-back year, finishing with 19 goals and 42 assists in 56 games. —CBS News, 12 May 2026

Miami is coming off of a 4-2 road win over Toronto FC on Saturday, with goals by Rodrigo De Paul, Luis Suarez, Sergio Reguilon, and Lionel Messi, who also provided two assists. —Michelle Kaufman may 12, Miami Herald, 12 May 2026

Another big win for Chambliss came off the field after a three-month legal challenge that resulted in an additional year of eligibility. —ABC News, 12 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1590, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Rhymes for come off

• cerenkov
• ashraf
• checkoff
• cutoff
• falloff
• handoff
• kickoff
• layoff
• liftoff
• markoff
• markov
• payoff