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off-the-wall

adjective

ˈȯf-ṯẖə-ˈwȯl How to pronounce off-the-wall (audio)
Definition of off-the-wallnext
as in bizarre
different from the ordinary in a way that causes curiosity or suspicion she does have some off-the-wall suggestions about home decorating

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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-the-wall Follow Joe for ongoing features about ecotourism as well as off-the-wall travel destinations around the globe. — Joe Sills, Forbes.com, 4 May 2026 What’s your favorite off-the-wall rendition of a birthday anthem? — O. Rose Broderick, STAT, 24 Apr. 2026 This was not a year for major turmoil in March or crazy off-the-wall selections by the committee. — Tim Cowlishaw, Dallas Morning News, 15 Mar. 2026 That is just off-the-wall, to see a frozen lake and then a tornado ripping the ice up. — Keith Matheny, Freep.com, 10 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for off-the-wall
Recent Examples of Synonyms for off-the-wall
  1. bizarre
  2. funny
  3. strange
  4. weird
  5. odd
  6. peculiar
  7. curious
  8. erratic
Adjective
  • The bizarre explanation brought an end to an episode that generated widespread attention online after Pierre initially accused the courier of stealing the order.
    — Peter Burke, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2026
  • An exhausting, head-spinning and often downright silly offseason is officially over after college football really kicked off on Thursday (after the always bizarre Week 0 last weekend).
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of bizarre
Adjective
  • On paper, the script didn’t seem that funny, and the looseness of it all — the clowning, the lack of a traditional plot structure — seemed kind of slapdash.
    — Victor Garber, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2026
  • The play touches on issues of male bonding, family, reentering the dating pool, loss, grief and despair, while being very funny almost all the time.
    — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of funny
Adjective
  • In a strange quirk of the 2026-27 fixture list, Leeds have been sent to the scenes of those crimes in quick succession once again.
    — Beren Cross, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • In short, unruly crowds, strange smells, intrusive noise and late nights are not unique inventions of the TikTok era.
    — Douglas Robson, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of strange
Adjective
  • The resulting film is somehow weirder, wondrous, and more wistful than what even that logline suggests.
    — Zachary Lee, IndieWire, 16 Sep. 2026
  • The kind of weird minutiae that only nerds pull out of old archives.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of weird
Adjective
  • Back in January, guests took the chance and filled quite a few odd items with popcorn.
    — Julia Gomez, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Which is certainly an odd way to go about saving children from abuse, as Hansen continually explains the mission to Decoy Dan.
    — Damon Wise, Deadline, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of odd
Adjective
  • Giddey, a peculiar player to build around or give the keys to an offense with eventual playoff aspirations, is on a reasonable deal, still fairly productive and had some level of interest from Minnesota.
    — Joel Lorenzi, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Winds may not be quite as strong near Sacramento in the evening as the Delta breeze counteracts some of the north winds — a peculiar setup — but could still be gusty in sudden bursts.
    — Sean Macaday, Sacbee.com, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of peculiar
Adjective
  • Though the element is more abundant than gold, the timing is curious.
    — semafor.com, semafor.com, 17 Sep. 2026
  • An Alternate Route If your kid falls into that horror-curious category, there’s actually an easy try-out available.
    — Jesse Hassenger, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of curious
Adjective
  • During this year’s crossing, the PC13 developed erratic steering around the halfway point, which Oshen believes may have been caused by excessive friction in the rudder.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 15 Sep. 2026
  • The 24-year-old goalie often struggled with inconsistency in an erratic 2025-26 season.
    — Max Bultman, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of erratic

Browse Nearby Words

off-the-shelf
off-the-wall
of late
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Off-the-wall.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/off-the-wall. Accessed 19 Sep. 2026.

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