off 1 of 3

adverb

ˈȯf How to pronounce off (audio)
Definition of offnext
as in away
from this or that place move off a few yards before I throw the football

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off

2 of 3

adjective

1
as in wrong
falling short of a standard the milk tasted off

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dormant
not being in a state of use, activity, or employment the computer is off, so you'll have to turn it on in order to use it

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in erroneous
not being in agreement with what is true that claim that everyone is actually related to everyone else seems a bit off

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in small
small in degree on the off chance that you do get straight A's, you can skip a grade

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in spicy
hinting at or intended to call to mind matters regarded as indecent a telltale smirk suggested that there was something off about his parting shot

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

off

3 of 3

verb

slang
as in to assassinate
to put to death deliberately the hit man was rumored to have offed at least three people in the last year alone

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 off
Adverb
With mass production of all-solid-state technology still far off, the company expects 2026 to mark the start of widespread semi-solid battery adoption. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 27 Oct. 2026 Ahead, learn more about Susan Saint James’s children, as the world joins her family in mourning a singular talent who made an impact on-screen and off. — Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 27 Oct. 2026
Adjective
There is no off day for travel after Friday’s game was postponed by rain. — Joe Reedy, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026 There is no off day for travel after Friday's game was postponed by rain. — ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026
Verb
The masked murderer attempted to kill Sidney (Neve Campbell) in a bathroom in the original 1996 Scream, and succeeded in offing Phil (Omar Epps) in a movie theater bathroom stall in the 1997 sequel. — Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Feb. 2026 Keen observers, Anglophiles, and anyone who watches movies made before 1972 will notice more than a casual similarity to Kind Hearts and Coronets, the old Ealing comedy in which an enterprising young Dennis Price attempts to off his relatives in order to claim the family fortune. — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 19 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for off
  1. away
  2. wrong
  3. dormant
  4. erroneous
  5. small
  6. spicy
  7. assassinate
  8. down
Adverb
  • Stop for breakfast at Musa, a buzzy café kiosk in São Conrado, and stick around for a beach day away from the crowds.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Its target lay thousands of miles away in northwestern Russia.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of away
Adjective
  • The first step is to ask the lender to reconsider the value if the appraisal overlooked a recent sale or got the details wrong.
    — Gary Singer, Sun Sentinel, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Schubarth said that statements from prosecutors that he was motivated to create a hybrid ram with giant horns in order to upsell to commercial shooting operations are wrong.
    — Andrew McKean, Outdoor Life, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of wrong
Adjective
  • In January, Sorrells created a cold case task force that is using advances in DNA technology to try to identify suspects in dormant homicide investigations.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Ryan Gosling is reviving one of his long-dormant side gigs just in time for Halloween.
    — Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of dormant
Adjective
  • According to a lawsuit, a coding error resulted in erroneous scores being generated and reported to third parties over a three-week period between March and April 2022.
    — Brian Sloan,Dan Avery, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026
  • While descending, deputies said the climber ran into trouble after following an erroneous GPS route that led him onto the Whitney Glacier.
    — Tim Fang, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of erroneous
Adjective
  • Manfred says small-market success is rare, while the union argues the Rays-Brewers World Series matchup shows baseball can work without a cap.
    — Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Massachusetts ranks third for the annual cost of raising a small child but 18th over 18 years.
    — Martie Bowser, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of small
Adjective
  • The restaurant also makes its own salsas, including roja, verde and a spicier green variety.
    — Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 24 Oct. 2026
  • The property collaborated with Nobu and the food is clean and delicious—unsurprisingly, lots of raw fish and produce like spicy microgreens and August-sweet tomatoes grown at Sensei’s hydroponic farm down the road.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of spicy
Verb
  • Moscow even planned to assassinate Armin Papperger, the CEO of the German defense giant Rheinmetall, to undermine the continent’s support for Ukraine.
    — Sam Mullins, Foreign Affairs, 28 Oct. 2026
  • In Cucuta, next to the border with Venezuela, authorities are investigating the murder of a former deputy mayor, who was assassinated on Monday night while on his way home.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of assassinate
Adverb
  • Charlotte was down by 35 points after three quarters, and the entire fourth quarter amounted to garbage time.
    — Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 24 Oct. 2026
  • But once those bills stop after age 5, the lower rent pulls the long-run totals down sharply.
    — Martie Bowser, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of down

Browse Nearby Words

of course
off
offal
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Cite this Entry

“Off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/off. Accessed 30 Oct. 2026.

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