1
: coming or moving away from the shore toward the water
an offshore breeze
2
a
: situated off the shore but within waters under a country's control
offshore fisheries
b
: distant from the shore compare inshore
3
: situated or operating in a foreign country
offshore mutual funds
offshore banking
off·shore
ˈȯf-ˌshȯr 
: off the shore of
Examples of offshore in a Sentence
Adjective
We sailed to an offshore island.
He works on an offshore oil rig.
They opened an offshore bank account.
He traced the money to an offshore investment company.
Recent Examples on the Web
Chris Mooney, CNN Money, 17 Dec. 2025
Winds may increase Sunday into early next week as the next storm strengthens offshore, potentially creating travel impacts around the holiday period.
—Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 16 Dec. 2025
Matthew Daly, Fortune, 22 Dec. 2025
Secretary Burgum announced all offshore wind project construction will be paused, citing national security concerns.
—Joe Dwinell, Boston Herald, 22 Dec. 2025
Jeremy Beaman, Washington Examiner, 16 Jan. 2023
The storm began organizing Friday offshore the Carolinas when two disturbances along the jet stream merged over the Southeast.
—Washington Post, 30 Jan. 2022
See All Example Sentences for offshore
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Adverb
This big shift in water temperatures south of Japan changes the distributions of fish species offshore.
—Chris Mooney, CNN Money, 17 Dec. 2025
Winds may increase Sunday into early next week as the next storm strengthens offshore, potentially creating travel impacts around the holiday period.
—Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 16 Dec. 2025
Adjective
Trump has been hostile to renewable energy, particularly offshore wind, and prioritizes fossil fuels to produce electricity.
—Matthew Daly, Fortune, 22 Dec. 2025
Secretary Burgum announced all offshore wind project construction will be paused, citing national security concerns.
—Joe Dwinell, Boston Herald, 22 Dec. 2025
Preposition
The Outer Continental Shelf offshore Maine is virgin water for wind.
—Jeremy Beaman, Washington Examiner, 16 Jan. 2023
The storm began organizing Friday offshore the Carolinas when two disturbances along the jet stream merged over the Southeast.
—Washington Post, 30 Jan. 2022
See All Example Sentences for offshore
Cite this Entry
“Offshore.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/offshore. Accessed 26 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
offshore
1 of 2 adverb
off·shore
ˈȯf-ˈshō(ə)r
-ˈshȯ(ə)r
: from the shore : at a distance from the shore
offshore
2 of 2 adjective
off·shore
ˈȯf-ˌshō(ə)r
-ˌshȯ(ə)r
1
: coming or moving away from the shore
an offshore breeze
2
: located off the shore
offshore islands
an offshore oil rig
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