on the off chance
idiom
—used to talk about something that might happen or be true but that is not likely
I called his office on the off chance that he would still be there, but he had already left.
Examples of on the off chance in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Also, ripping up a lot of soft coral to extract their diterpenoids on the off chance that they’ll be developed into a therapeutic agent is a bit environmentally unethical.
—
Paul McClure 13, New Atlas, 13 June 2025
Blackwell, the warden, even ordered a full search of Alcatraz on the off chance the men never actually left.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 12 May 2025
Prudence may thus demand devising a mitigation strategy in the interim on the off chance—even if remote—that the asteroid could hit.
—Jonathan O'Callaghan, Scientific American, 30 Jan. 2025
The Dodgers have coveted Sasaki for years, reserving the most available space in the 2024 international signing class on the off chance that Sasaki came to Major League Baseball before his 25th birthday.
—Eno Sarris, The Athletic, 17 Jan. 2025
This is, of course, on the off chance the Toronto Blue Jays actually explore trading him, which is still very questionable as of now.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 3 Jan. 2025
My sister started watching episodes of House on the off chance some TV writers had scripted a situation like this.
—Katie Gutierrez, TIME, 19 Sep. 2024
With that in mind, my packing list is all about maximum practicality, while trying to stay at least a tiny bit presentable on the off chance my husband remembers to take a #proofofmom pic.
—Alex Apatoff, Peoplemag, 31 May 2024
The inflation process happens with the tire placed inside a safety cage to protect mechanics on the off chance there’s a catastrophic failure.
—Ryan Erik King / Jalopnik, Quartz, 26 Feb. 2024
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Paul McClure 13, New Atlas, 13 June 2025
Blackwell, the warden, even ordered a full search of Alcatraz on the off chance the men never actually left.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 12 May 2025
Prudence may thus demand devising a mitigation strategy in the interim on the off chance—even if remote—that the asteroid could hit.
—Jonathan O'Callaghan, Scientific American, 30 Jan. 2025
The Dodgers have coveted Sasaki for years, reserving the most available space in the 2024 international signing class on the off chance that Sasaki came to Major League Baseball before his 25th birthday.
—Eno Sarris, The Athletic, 17 Jan. 2025
This is, of course, on the off chance the Toronto Blue Jays actually explore trading him, which is still very questionable as of now.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 3 Jan. 2025
My sister started watching episodes of House on the off chance some TV writers had scripted a situation like this.
—Katie Gutierrez, TIME, 19 Sep. 2024
With that in mind, my packing list is all about maximum practicality, while trying to stay at least a tiny bit presentable on the off chance my husband remembers to take a #proofofmom pic.
—Alex Apatoff, Peoplemag, 31 May 2024
The inflation process happens with the tire placed inside a safety cage to protect mechanics on the off chance there’s a catastrophic failure.
—Ryan Erik King / Jalopnik, Quartz, 26 Feb. 2024
Cite this Entry
“On the off chance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/on%20the%20off%20chance. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
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