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
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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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of off-kilter
Who knows how many fights didn’t break out in a melee because the flight crew spotted off-kilter passengers and knew how to listen and empathize to defuse a disruption?
—
Thomas Black, Twin Cities, 21 Dec. 2025
Give me an off-kilter recommendation, defended well.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 19 Dec. 2025
Soon, DiRusso had a devoted, captivated audience built almost entirely online who saw her music as a joyous and off-kilter mirror to their own lives.
—Marissa R. Moss, Rolling Stone, 19 Dec. 2025
There are many, many wonderful films to get excited about seeing next year, but tucked in safe alongside the big budget event films and off-kilter superhero offerings, there’s one bonkers indie gem to get really hyped for.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 17 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for off-kilter
Thomas Black, Twin Cities, 21 Dec. 2025
Give me an off-kilter recommendation, defended well.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 19 Dec. 2025
Soon, DiRusso had a devoted, captivated audience built almost entirely online who saw her music as a joyous and off-kilter mirror to their own lives.
—Marissa R. Moss, Rolling Stone, 19 Dec. 2025
There are many, many wonderful films to get excited about seeing next year, but tucked in safe alongside the big budget event films and off-kilter superhero offerings, there’s one bonkers indie gem to get really hyped for.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 17 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for off-kilter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for off-kilter
Adjective
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His work is marked by unusual, even bizarre, material choices that encrust spatial compositions reminiscent of Frank Lloyd Wright’s innovative open space plans.—
Edward Keegan,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Jan. 2026
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Some unnamed Chicago bartender in the early 1880s had the improbable idea of taking a Whiskey Sour and adding a little red wine to the top, inventing in a bizarre flash of insightone of the great warm weather whiskey drinks of our time.—
Jeremy Repanich,
Robb Report,
10 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Lost Lambs is a confident if uneven start for a morbidly funny writer.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Jan. 2026
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The low-pile rug has short fibers that prevent uneven crushing from heavy foot traffic and give it more durability over time.—
Shea Simmons,
PEOPLE,
15 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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There was this glamorous Italian dancer and this strange juxtaposition, like beauty with a beast.—
Stephen Schaefer,
Boston Herald,
21 Jan. 2026
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People were interacting at workstations with computers, flipping through books on shelves, reading mysterious notes on desks and watching strange videos.—
Jan Wagner,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
21 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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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
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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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The then-unknown Michael Shannon, whose early career roles in Chicago were every bit as weird as this play, starred in that production.—
Chris Jones,
New York Daily News,
9 Jan. 2026
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But this year, due to weird scheduling, the BAFTA nods will come out on January 27, after the Oscar nominations.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Willms plans to call the Bureau of Land Management — the agency that oversees these parcels of federal land — to report the crooked stake.—
Christine Peterson,
Outdoor Life,
7 Jan. 2026
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Begin by removing any suckers at the base of the tree, side shoots on the trunk, crossing or crooked branches, dead or damaged branches, those that are growing inward, and crowded branches.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
31 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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The language is also often inviting, sometimes funny, like a real person telling you a real story from their real voice and body.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Jan. 2026
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Still, the over-the-top direction the episode goes in did lead to plenty of funny moments off-camera.—
Sabienna Bowman,
PEOPLE,
16 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Darnold, who had been listed as questionable because of an oblique injury, guided the Seahawks on two more scoring drives before San Francisco got on the board with the first of its two field goals.—
Andrew Destin,
Baltimore Sun,
18 Jan. 2026
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However, oblique impacts – landing at an angle – can lead to abrupt stops that cause the brain to rotate inside the skull, leading to a higher number of traumatic brain injuries.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
18 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Off-kilter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/off-kilter. Accessed 21 Jan. 2026.
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