1
as in bizarre
different from the ordinary in a way that causes curiosity or suspicion
he's nice enough, but there's something a little off-kilter about him
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in uneven
inclined or twisted to one side
to me, the painting on the wall looks a little off-kilter
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of off-kilter
This off-kilter confidence is the crux of her appeal.
—
Carrie Battan, Vulture, 15 Jan. 2026
Key's Jerry is a disruption through and through, knocking everything just a little off-kilter with each volatile appearance.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Jan. 2026
With Secret Love, Dry Cleaning find a perfect game-recognize-game accomplice in Welsh indie auteur Cate Le Bon, who’s become not just an in-demand producer, but practically a subgenre unto herself, attracting like-minded practitioners of off-kilter, observational art-pop into her orbit.
—Stuart Berman, Pitchfork, 9 Jan. 2026
But ultimately, the occasional off-kilter night isn’t something to stress over.
—Erica Sloan, SELF, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for off-kilter
Carrie Battan, Vulture, 15 Jan. 2026
Key's Jerry is a disruption through and through, knocking everything just a little off-kilter with each volatile appearance.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Jan. 2026
With Secret Love, Dry Cleaning find a perfect game-recognize-game accomplice in Welsh indie auteur Cate Le Bon, who’s become not just an in-demand producer, but practically a subgenre unto herself, attracting like-minded practitioners of off-kilter, observational art-pop into her orbit.
—Stuart Berman, Pitchfork, 9 Jan. 2026
But ultimately, the occasional off-kilter night isn’t something to stress over.
—Erica Sloan, SELF, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for off-kilter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for off-kilter
Adjective
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In a bizarre twist, Sweden’s Sara Hector and Norway’s Thea Louise Stjernesund skied identical times — down to the hundredth of a second — in the morning and afternoon to tie for silver.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Feb. 2026
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Of all the Manhattan’s children—and there are many—the Harvard Cocktail is perhaps the most bizarre.—
Jeremy Repanich,
Robb Report,
14 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Despite substantial investment, outcomes remain uneven, and access to alternatives is often constrained by income.—
Carol Platt Liebau,
Hartford Courant,
5 Feb. 2026
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Bets on economic resilience have recently fueled gains in companies that tend to benefit from improving growth prospects, the latest data underscored the uneven labor market characterized by limited numbers of overall dismissals and lackluster hiring.—
Rita Nazareth,
Fortune,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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In a strange twist, the Max app was developed by VKontakte (VK), which Durov co-founded before selling his shares and leaving Russia in 2014, after Durov said the Kremlin had asked the site to hand over Ukrainian users’ data.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
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Paul, the polarizing boxer, has been no stranger to showing emotion.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Your stairs are nothing more than a narrow, tilted floor, much like a child’s slide at a playground.—
Tim Carter,
Hartford Courant,
3 Jan. 2026
-
Paramount did not bargain for WBD to foster, whether intentionally or unintentionally, a tilted and unfair process.—
Julia Boorstin,Lillian Rizzo,Alex Sherman,David Faber,
CNBC,
4 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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By the letter of the current weird law, yes, the officials got it right, but the law is a problem here because Haaland’s reaction should surely not define how the sequence is viewed.—
Simon Hughes,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
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But hey, this was the '90s, when being weird for weird's sake was a thing, and a creepy animatronic penguin lurking in the shadows and terrorizing humans in a variety of '90s-ish noir settings is definitely that.—
Debby Wolfinsohn,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Ron Leibman and Paul Sand round out their gang, with Zero Mostel as the crooked attorney who serves as a go-between.—
Mark Olsen,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Jan. 2026
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Descend its famously crooked path, flanked by cascading hydrangeas and storybook Edwardian homes—then watch cars zigzag through eight tight switchbacks while tourists crowd the sidewalks, snapping photos of its surreal descent.—
Lewis Nunn,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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From the other side of the window the guard is giving me funny kine looks.—
Jasmin 'Iolani Hakes,
Literary Hub,
5 Feb. 2026
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But history, which has a funny way of repeating itself, suggests otherwise.—
Stephen Mihm,
Mercury News,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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During the playoffs, Darnold played through an oblique injury that many thought would limit his production.—
Antwan Staley,
Hartford Courant,
9 Feb. 2026
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Outfielder Kyle Stowers emerged as an All-Star and was trending toward receiving down-ballot MVP votes before his season ended with a left oblique strain in mid-August.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
7 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Off-kilter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/off-kilter. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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