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
Those first assessments have proven wildly off the mark.
—
Daniel Depetris, Chicago Tribune, 10 Feb. 2026
These new doodads are often flashy, but always seem a little off the mark.
—James Folta, Literary Hub, 15 Dec. 2025
That means leaders are more than two times off the mark.
—Deborah Lovich, Harvard Business Review, 26 Nov. 2025
The already-controversial trash fees for single-family homes, which had gotten no-fee service for decades, became even more controversial last spring when the pre-election estimate of the fees proved way off the mark.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for off the mark
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Daniel Depetris, Chicago Tribune, 10 Feb. 2026
These new doodads are often flashy, but always seem a little off the mark.
—James Folta, Literary Hub, 15 Dec. 2025
That means leaders are more than two times off the mark.
—Deborah Lovich, Harvard Business Review, 26 Nov. 2025
The already-controversial trash fees for single-family homes, which had gotten no-fee service for decades, became even more controversial last spring when the pre-election estimate of the fees proved way off the mark.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for off the mark
Cite this Entry
“Off the mark.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/off%20the%20mark. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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