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 desperate to pin the wide-ranging failures of 2023 on single fall guy is understandable, yet entire time zones off the mark.
—
Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Aug. 2023
The epigraph page alone gestures toward the Gospel of Luke, Cosa Nostra murders, communist atrocities and, for anyone still slow off the mark, Dachau, Auschwitz and Buchenwald.
—Louis Bayard, Washington Post, 19 Aug. 2023
Nevertheless, his attribution of blame for all of Congo’s initial instability and the subsequent corrupt dictatorship of President Joseph Mobutu to the CIA is wildly off the mark.
—Herman J. Cohen, Foreign Affairs, 15 Dec. 2014
The eight-speed automatic transmission performs admirably, but its preference for second gear starts when in Comfort mode exacerbates the engine's initial turbo lag, and renders the S5 sleepy off the mark.
—Becca Hackett, Car and Driver, 29 June 2023
Morris’ throw, though, was also off the mark and skipped into left field, bringing Herman home.
—Theo MacKie, The Arizona Republic, 11 May 2023
But really off the mark in terms of the power of Russia and the power of the troops.
—ABC News, 23 Apr. 2023
Vollmer hits the wall in 55.98 seconds to shave 0.08 off the mark set by Sarah Sjostrom of Sweden at the 2009 world championships in Rome.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2022
Baraga was poised to grab the lead but its 3-point attempt was off the mark.
—Wright Wilson, Detroit Free Press, 17 Mar. 2022
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Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Aug. 2023
The epigraph page alone gestures toward the Gospel of Luke, Cosa Nostra murders, communist atrocities and, for anyone still slow off the mark, Dachau, Auschwitz and Buchenwald.
—Louis Bayard, Washington Post, 19 Aug. 2023
Nevertheless, his attribution of blame for all of Congo’s initial instability and the subsequent corrupt dictatorship of President Joseph Mobutu to the CIA is wildly off the mark.
—Herman J. Cohen, Foreign Affairs, 15 Dec. 2014
The eight-speed automatic transmission performs admirably, but its preference for second gear starts when in Comfort mode exacerbates the engine's initial turbo lag, and renders the S5 sleepy off the mark.
—Becca Hackett, Car and Driver, 29 June 2023
Morris’ throw, though, was also off the mark and skipped into left field, bringing Herman home.
—Theo MacKie, The Arizona Republic, 11 May 2023
But really off the mark in terms of the power of Russia and the power of the troops.
—ABC News, 23 Apr. 2023
Vollmer hits the wall in 55.98 seconds to shave 0.08 off the mark set by Sarah Sjostrom of Sweden at the 2009 world championships in Rome.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2022
Baraga was poised to grab the lead but its 3-point attempt was off the mark.
—Wright Wilson, Detroit Free Press, 17 Mar. 2022
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'off the mark.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near off the mark
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“Off the mark.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/off%20the%20mark. Accessed 1 Oct. 2023.
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