variants
or off-colored
as in suggestive
hinting at or intended to call to mind matters regarded as indecent
the movie was rated PG-13 for some swearing and off-color jokes
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of off-color
Musk previously drew criticism for making an off-color joke about Sweeney's body in December.
—
Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Jan. 2026
To wear a device is to pull everyone around you into your data stream, where an off-color joke or a bad moment will be recorded—and eventually used to train future AI systems.
—Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 23 Jan. 2026
Yellowing can happen with some topcoats when they’re cured, giving nails an unwanted, slightly off-color tint.
—Morgan Fargo, Vogue, 10 Sep. 2025
Overwatering can also result in stunted growth and off-color (yellow) foliage in annuals.
—Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 30 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for off-color
Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Jan. 2026
To wear a device is to pull everyone around you into your data stream, where an off-color joke or a bad moment will be recorded—and eventually used to train future AI systems.
—Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 23 Jan. 2026
Yellowing can happen with some topcoats when they’re cured, giving nails an unwanted, slightly off-color tint.
—Morgan Fargo, Vogue, 10 Sep. 2025
Overwatering can also result in stunted growth and off-color (yellow) foliage in annuals.
—Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 30 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for off-color
Recent Examples of Synonyms for off-color
Adjective
-
But, in historic gold-rush regions, prospectors use it to identify disturbances in the landscape that are suggestive of former mining operations, in the hope of finding overlooked stores.—
Jennifer Wilson,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
For another example of the interpretive and suggestive quality of verbs, let’s look at Patricia Highsmith’s The Two Faces of January.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 May 2026
Adjective
-
The company makes pickles in flavors such as hot, half-sour and sweet and spicy.—
Saleen Martin,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
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It’s finished in a spicy-sweet sauce that would make a rubber tire taste good.—
Nina Moskowitz,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
At the climax of the episode, two kingfishers sported over a stream, a dazzling dogfight of orange and blue.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
8 May 2026
-
Given Colorado’s decidedly blue hue, whoever wins the Democratic primary will be in pole position to next occupy the governor’s mansion.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Off-color.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/off-color. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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