1
as in to radiate
to throw or give off
spermaceti candles, made from whale oil, are known to cast an exceptionally bright light
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to aim
to point or turn (something) toward a target or goal
cast her eyes skyward for signs of the rescue plane
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to prepare
to put (something) into proper and usually carefully worked out written form
carefully cast the letter of complaint as politely as possible
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in to throw
to send through the air especially with a quick forward motion of the arm
cast a rock into the stream
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in prediction
a declaration that something will happen in the future
stock market analysts offered an optimistic cast for the coming year
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in shade
a property that becomes apparent when light falls on an object and by which things that are identical in form can be distinguished
the walls had a slight yellowish cast
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
4
as in look
facial appearance regarded as an indication of mood or feeling
his face took on a somewhat sad cast when we asked how his ill wife was faring
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in shape
the outward appearance of something as distinguished from its substance
the lovely cast of the baby's features
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to dump
to get rid of as useless or unwanted
once she became rich and didn't need them anymore, she cast off all her old friends like so much junk
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to add
to combine (numbers) into a single sum
had worked as a clerk in a countinghouse, mainly casting up long columns of figures every day
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in discarded
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of cast-off
Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2025
Russia tops the chart of cast-off rockets at this altitude, with 512 uncontrolled spacecraft that could ultimately threaten robotic and human explorers across low Earth orbit.
—Kevin Holden Platt, Forbes, 13 Oct. 2024
Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 29 July 2025
They're cast as hard-rock goofballs who take a radio station hostage with water pistols filled with hot sauce to get their demo tape played.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 29 July 2025
Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 30 July 2025
Pose, a first-of-its-kind drama that featured a cast of Black and brown transgender performers.
—Tope Folarin, The Atlantic, 29 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for cast-off
Verb
Taco Bell also resurrected Crispy Chicken Nuggets, made with all-white meat chicken, zesty jalapeño buttermilk seasoning, and tortilla chip breading, a cast-off from 2021 menus, now available nationwide.
—Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2025
Russia tops the chart of cast-off rockets at this altitude, with 512 uncontrolled spacecraft that could ultimately threaten robotic and human explorers across low Earth orbit.
—Kevin Holden Platt, Forbes, 13 Oct. 2024
Noun
Its own sly twist casts Robert Mitchum—the original Cady—as the elderly, honorable police lieutenant Elgart, and Gregory Peck, 1962’s Bowden, as Cady’s defense attorney.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 29 July 2025
They're cast as hard-rock goofballs who take a radio station hostage with water pistols filled with hot sauce to get their demo tape played.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 29 July 2025
Verb
The production has also attached Hapless cast members Jeany Spark and Adwoa Akoto.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 30 July 2025
Pose, a first-of-its-kind drama that featured a cast of Black and brown transgender performers.
—Tope Folarin, The Atlantic, 29 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for cast-off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cast-off
waste
Adjective
-
This anti-waste brand upcycles materials, and was founded by Kisa Sky Shiga.—
Nadja Sayej,
Forbes,
20 Dec. 2022
-
Fanning out like urban guerrillas through Paris’ darkened streets well after midnight, the anti-waste activists shinny up walls and drain pipes, reaching for switches to turn off the lights. Click.—
The Christian Science Monitor,
The Christian Science Monitor,
3 Aug. 2022
Cite this Entry
“Cast-off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cast-off. Accessed 2 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share