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off-kilter

adjective

ˈȯf-ˈkil-tər How to pronounce off-kilter (audio)
Definition of off-kilternext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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-kilter But a 17-point win masked how off-kilter and sloppy the offense looked against the overmatched Huskies. — John Talty, Vanity Fair, 2 Sep. 2026 Scott said of his guidance for production designer Chris Seavers, who was tasked with creating the creepy airport where off-kilter flight attendant Allison Janney lures the film’s heroes to potential doom. — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 27 Aug. 2026 Rather than treating the producer’s off-kilter beats as something to overcome, Rhymes hears their humanity. — Spin Staff, SPIN, 25 Aug. 2026 The other buttons are black, which is a nice off-kilter touch. — Mitch Wallace, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for off-kilter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for off-kilter
  1. bizarre
  2. uneven
  3. strange
  4. tilted
  5. weird
  6. crooked
  7. funny
  8. oblique
Adjective
  • In a bizarre way, meeting the late, great Lynch — whom Watts did an impeccable impression of, pretend cigarette and all — was almost like therapy for the actress, who landed that breakout role at the age of 31.
    — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 27 Sep. 2026
  • In 2018, Entertainment Weekly wrote an oral history of the bizarre entertainment at the 1989 gala.
    — Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of bizarre
Adjective
  • The donor area has limits, and removing too many grafts may leave it looking uneven or depleted.
    — Ascend Agency, New York Daily News, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Rapid magnetic changes, probe movement, or uneven fields can cause the system to lose this lock.
    — Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of uneven
Adjective
  • The reunion becomes even stranger when Constance prepares for a dark holiday celebration, with Kai Anderson (Evan Peters) from Cult helping decorate a black Christmas tree topped with a pentagram.
    — Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 25 Sep. 2026
  • The public wiki case offers a particularly strange example of the problem.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of strange
Adjective
  • The tilted surfaces were mostly chosen to mimic raindrops in the real world.
    — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 31 Aug. 2026
  • But analysts say risks to oil prices remain tilted to the upside.
    — , CNBC, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of tilted
Adjective
  • Beck was playing a shabby, malnourished musician living in a shack who acts as an emissary of a weird celebrity cult.
    — Josephine Reisman, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2026
  • But, in a weird sort of way, that approach advances the point critics have about Williams.
    — Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of weird
Adjective
  • Its most recognizable feature is a small crooked line of stars led by Hamal, its brightest member.
    — Jamie Carter, Space.com, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Hang your porch swing crooked or prop scrap of wood across your windows to make it look boarded up.
    — Kaitlyn Keegan, Hartford Courant, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of crooked
Adjective
  • And that is a very funny, exploitable premise on its surface.
    — Fiction Non Fiction, Literary Hub, 24 Sep. 2026
  • On Standby follows Sagit, a 33-year-old airport security screener whose brutally honest view of the world and chaotic personal life turn even the most ordinary interactions into painfully funny disasters.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of funny
Adjective
  • Ramírez never went back down and instead turned into a key cog for the team, playing second base when Dansby Swanson went down with an oblique injury and Nico Hoerner was moved to short.
    — Andy Martinez, Chicago Tribune, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Tua Tagovailoa was slated to start the season and then started having oblique spasms days before the opener and also missed those two games.
    — Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of oblique

Browse Nearby Words

off-key
off-kilter
off-limits
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Cite this Entry

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

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