: proper or usual state or condition : order
out of kilter
Examples of kilter in a Sentence
since I dropped my food processor, it's been all out of kilter
Recent Examples on the Web
To say much more would be to spoil the twisted twists of the plot, in which the director finally applies his affinity for mounting dread to a bona fide horror movie — albeit one characterized by the off-kilter black humor that had become his speciality by that point.
—
A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 24 Oct. 2025
His genius is in making films that can accommodate their oft-kilter instincts.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 23 Oct. 2025
There are pieces of Bruggelstein that are off kilter here simmering beneath the surface, never fully realized, and lacking in any sort of tension except that his true identity might be revealed.
—Michelle F. Solomon, Miami Herald, 21 Oct. 2025
Alex feels welcomed in this new town, but is immediately thrown off kilter by the intimacy among neighbors in Tall Pines.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 25 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for kilter
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A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 24 Oct. 2025
His genius is in making films that can accommodate their oft-kilter instincts.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 23 Oct. 2025
There are pieces of Bruggelstein that are off kilter here simmering beneath the surface, never fully realized, and lacking in any sort of tension except that his true identity might be revealed.
—Michelle F. Solomon, Miami Herald, 21 Oct. 2025
Alex feels welcomed in this new town, but is immediately thrown off kilter by the intimacy among neighbors in Tall Pines.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 25 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for kilter
Cite this Entry
“Kilter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kilter. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
kilter
noun
kil·ter
ˈkil-tər 
: proper condition
the TV is out of kilter
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