as in impromptu
made or done without previous thought or preparation
an offhand comment that later caused the politician much embarrassment
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in casually
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of offhand
Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 13 Mar. 2026
Founders start rewriting decks based on one offhand comment.
—Holden Bruce, Forbes.com, 5 Mar. 2026
Lance Eliot, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2021
Thomas didn’t know offhand but circled back to him with the answer: Six.
—Amie Just | Staff Writer, NOLA.com, 25 Dec. 2020
See All Example Sentences for offhand
Adjective
And, playing a detective and his secretary attempting to ascertain the Bride’s whereabouts, Peter Sarsgaard and Penelope Cruz have just the right note of offhand oddness that suggests neither is taking the movie too seriously.
—Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 13 Mar. 2026
Founders start rewriting decks based on one offhand comment.
—Holden Bruce, Forbes.com, 5 Mar. 2026
Adverb
The Trolley Problem entails having to make difficult choices, contextually herein in the nature of driving decisions, and is often offhand dismissed by some as a misleading folly in the self-driving realm.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2021
Thomas didn’t know offhand but circled back to him with the answer: Six.
—Amie Just | Staff Writer, NOLA.com, 25 Dec. 2020
See All Example Sentences for offhand
Recent Examples of Synonyms for offhand
Adjective
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The impromptu choir, alongside dozens of others in the audience, was advocating for cuts to the Sacramento Police Department in favor of funding youth violence intervention, a community ambassador program, homelessness services and fee waivers for underserved residents.—
Jennah Pendleton,
Sacbee.com,
10 June 2026
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Cole spent February driving around the country for impromptu fan meets, peddling CDs from the trunk of his pre-stardom Honda Civic.—
John Kennedy,
VIBE.com,
9 June 2026
Adverb
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For a day trip, casually head to one of the world’s natural wonders, only 18 miles away, to Yellowstone National Park.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 June 2026
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Perry looked casually cute for her day in the park and wore a white T-shirt with khaki slacks.—
Tracy Wright,
FOXNews.com,
16 June 2026
Adjective
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Then Carol piles everything on her plate into a rough slice of avocado toast, mashing them together in an improvised layer.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
5 Dec. 2025
-
The first-of-its-kind operation at Kadena Air Base was conducted under Project Lima BEAN—Blazing Egress Airfield Nonstandard—demonstrating the drone's ability to operate from non-traditional airfields and improvised environments, the 18th Wing said.—
Ryan Chan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Nov. 2025
Adverb
-
America is offhandedly disregarding science.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
15 May 2026
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Advertisement Coel as Lori Claudette Barius McKellen is always good, and often great, but there’s something offhandedly magical about his performance here.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Director Josh Rowland describes the new improvisational show as set in a place where bounty hunters with empty pockets chase high-stakes outlaws through a gritty solar system trying to make a big score.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 June 2026
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All of those skills are especially important on clay and grass, surfaces where players have to be more creative and improvisational.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
3 June 2026
Adverb
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Treating rewards as something people can reliably hold, exchange, and use across a brand’s broader partners and ecosystems, rather than a balance that can be arbitrarily revised, changes the relationship between customer and issuer.—
Gary Drenik,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
-
Discretion exercised arbitrarily undermines it.—
Kaitlyn Schallhorn,
Daily News,
3 June 2026
Adverb
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But also just a touch ironic — like a man handing out fire safety pamphlets while carelessly flipping burgers over a bonfire on his porch.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Aug. 2025
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The days of carelessly grabbing your beach bag, towel, and bikini and heading to the beach are long gone.—
Erica Wertheim Zohar,
Forbes.com,
16 July 2025
Adverb
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The experts said the therapy, known informally as TRT, has been underutilized due to outdated concerns about risks of prostate cancer, stroke and heart disease.—
Aria Bendix,
NBC news,
10 Dec. 2025
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Most informally, among the royal family and in her royal duties, the princess prefers to be known simply as Catherine.—
Meredith Kile,
PEOPLE,
17 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Offhand.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/offhand. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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