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
Relevance
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
With Venus also in Libra, you’re supported in creating beauty and balance where things have felt off-kilter.
—
Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 19 Oct. 2025
However, Carolina was forced to settle for a short field goal after Young made a couple of off-kilter throws to his tight ends.
—Charlotte Observer, 19 Oct. 2025
Here are four off-kilter, on-brand ways to do that — courtesy of Denver Post staffers.
—The Know, Denver Post, 14 Oct. 2025
That look — glamorous, ever-so-slightly off-kilter — helped make an unlikely celebrity of Shampoo, whose real name is Mauro Teixeira Thorpe.
—Jack Lang, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for off-kilter
Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 19 Oct. 2025
However, Carolina was forced to settle for a short field goal after Young made a couple of off-kilter throws to his tight ends.
—Charlotte Observer, 19 Oct. 2025
Here are four off-kilter, on-brand ways to do that — courtesy of Denver Post staffers.
—The Know, Denver Post, 14 Oct. 2025
That look — glamorous, ever-so-slightly off-kilter — helped make an unlikely celebrity of Shampoo, whose real name is Mauro Teixeira Thorpe.
—Jack Lang, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for off-kilter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for off-kilter
Adjective
-
As travelers crave experiences over ordinary stays, hotels that have transformed grim to glam are now embracing their bizarre and sometimes haunted histories, even hosting weddings and wellness retreats.—
Deirdre Bardolf,
FOXNews.com,
25 Oct. 2025
-
But things take a bizarre turn when her son, Simón (Roger Príncep), goes missing.—
Steven Thrash,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The pressure rhythm was adjusted to an uneven triangle pattern to better match the freezing process.—
Pranjal Malewar,
New Atlas,
26 Oct. 2025
-
Barcelona arrives determined to reclaim momentum after an uneven run of performances.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Also this week, celebrity chef José Andres reveals his latest cookbook, the strange case of two hyper-specific vending machines, and the neverending epic of Cracker Barrel’s redesign fiasco adds yet another chapter.—
Sam Stone,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
31 Oct. 2025
-
But there's a strange intimacy to Talk to Me's premise, in which teens act tough by holding a mummified hand, declaring the titular phrase, and inviting one lucky spirit from the other side to inhabit their body.—
Dennis Perkins,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The winter solstice is the start of astronomical winter, when Earth's northern hemisphere is pointed the farthest away from the sun due to its tilted axis.—
Sarah Moore,
Freep.com,
9 Oct. 2025
-
Holly, who did not share her last name, posed in the familiar tourist style—appearing to hold up the tilted tower.—
Soo Kim,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
At the same time, as Cawsey points out, the legend of Tutivillus itself was like good gossip—colorful, wicked, and weird.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Kinda weird that arguably the best episode of the season featured not one, but two extended scenes of players fishing, but whatevs.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
After a disastrous attempt at bedding Minde’s ex-girlfriend Edita (Vaidilė Juozaitytė), our flat-top sporting hero with a crooked smile meets Monika (Digna Kulionytė), an ambitious, studious beauty from the middle-class area of town.—
Courtney Howard,
Variety,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Another crooked number against the Dodgers’ bullpen in the seventh inning cemented a 6-2 Game 4 victory that evened the World Series at two games apiece.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
This is less spooky and more funny.—
Josh Honeycutt,
Outdoor Life,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Musical inspiration can be a funny thing.—
Simon Vozick-Levinson,
Rolling Stone,
29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Following that injury, speculation landed on Springer suffering an oblique injury, though the team did not reveal specifics.—
Peter Chawaga,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Oct. 2025
-
The offense looked lost when Roman Anthony went down with an oblique injury in early September.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
26 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Off-kilter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/off-kilter. Accessed 1 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share