off the mark

idiom

: not accurate or correct : not achieving the desired result
Their estimates were completely off the mark.
His efforts to console her were off the mark.

Examples of off the mark in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Private loans don’t trade and are valued only quarterly, with estimates that are often well off the mark. Hank Tucker, Forbes.com, 24 July 2025 Progressive Democrats who claim a lack of affordable housing is at the root of Bay Area homelessness aren’t totally off the mark. Dain Fitzgerald, The Washington Examiner, 6 June 2025 This avoids the trap of going heads-down for too long and emerging with something off the mark. Abdo Riani, Forbes.com, 24 July 2025 The Austin suburb of Georgetown is not far off the mark at 96,312. Michael Barnes, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for off the mark

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Cite this Entry

“Off the mark.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/off%20the%20mark. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.

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