: not prepared in advance : spontaneous, informal
off-the-cuff remarks
off-the-cuff adverb

Examples of off-the-cuff in a Sentence

having gotten into hot water with some unfortunate off-the-cuff remarks, the candidate now limits himself to his carefully prepared campaign speech
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Rather than an off-the-cuff riff, his joke was a reference to an existing parody song that, improbably, traces the story of the past four decades of U.S.-Iran relations — up to and including the recent bombing by the U.S. of three nuclear facilities in Iran on June 21. Hershal Pandya, Vulture, 25 June 2025 Newsom has spoken directly to the public in speeches, interviews, and off-the-cuff remarks. Amie Parnes, The Hill, 13 June 2025 Very Fine People on Both Sides': Charlottesville Remarks Spark Moral Outrage On August 15, 2017, Trump ignited national outrage during an off-the-cuff press conference at Trump Tower. Carlo Versano jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 June 2025 While some grievances – expressed in a mixture of open letters, court filings, social media posts, TV interviews and off-the-cuff remarks – have aligned with the school’s own concerns, the university says others have been trivial and unsupported. Andy Rose, CNN Money, 3 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for off-the-cuff

Word History

First Known Use

1936, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of off-the-cuff was in 1936

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Cite this Entry

“Off-the-cuff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/off-the-cuff. Accessed 6 Jul. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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