as in impromptu
made or done without previous thought or preparation
an offhand comment that later caused the politician much embarrassment
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in casually
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of offhand
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
Anna Commander, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 July 2025
What finally cracks the case for Sophie, though, was an offhand remark Margo made to Sophie in the very first episode of the series.
—Melissa Locker, Time, 23 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for offhand
Adjective
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
Adverb
This kind of offhand remark contributes to a pattern in Republican circles where constitutional constraints are treated as flexible, potentially to gauge public reaction.
—Anna Commander, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 July 2025
What finally cracks the case for Sophie, though, was an offhand remark Margo made to Sophie in the very first episode of the series.
—Melissa Locker, Time, 23 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for offhand
Recent Examples of Synonyms for offhand
Adjective
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Christmas Eve is her favorite day of the year, but she’s just been informed that her adult children won’t be coming over tonight because her ex-husband has decided to throw an impromptu wedding reception after his impromptu courthouse wedding with his second wife.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
4 Sep. 2025
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No longer do white picket fences divide neighbors and security gates enclose neighborhoods, but walking trails zig zag throughout the homes with lush landscaping to give access to impromptu social intersections alongside nature.—
Jennifer Castenson,
Forbes.com,
28 Aug. 2025
Adverb
-
Last month, Gandalf the Grey actor Ian McKellen casually dropped a bombshell bit of casting news on the unsuspecting crowd at a London fan event at the convention For the Love of Fantasy.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Sep. 2025
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Dress it up with heeled booties, or wear it casually with sneakers.—
Jamie Allison Sanders,
PEOPLE,
6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The improvised nature of the production was born in part out of practical necessity.—
Christopher Vourlias,
Variety,
6 Sep. 2025
-
One person lies in the street, his head cracked open in a pool of blood, while a boy is carried away on an improvised stretcher.—
Mahmoud Atef,
CNN Money,
30 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Ohs has described his method as collaborative and as calculatedly improvisational, a mix of composition in advance and real-time discovery.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
4 Sep. 2025
-
But the Grateful Dead were an improvisational band.—
Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
30 Aug. 2025
Adverb
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Guterres noted that others working for the UN, as well as people working with NGOs, civil society and diplomatic missions, have been arbitrarily detained in Yemen since 2021.—
Catherine Nicholls,
CNN Money,
31 Aug. 2025
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Thus, rather than allowing each AI maker to arbitrarily determine the rules to be employed, have lawmakers make those decisions and codify them into laws.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
28 Aug. 2025
Adverb
-
Wallets, coins, and rings are carelessly passed around this little society, and messages are corrupted—from Orsino’s wooing of Olivia, which is accidentally undone by his own go-between, Viola, to the letters that deceive Malvolio.—
Helen Shaw,
New Yorker,
22 Aug. 2025
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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
Adverb
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By mentoring the next generation of jewelry professionals, Amenc informally trains individuals in the industry, sharing her expertise and experience.—
Kyle Roderick,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
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Wellness programming includes sunrise yoga and sound healing ceremonies; more informally, guests can also enjoy the pristine seaside location and lazy afternoons by the plunge pool.—
Michaela Trimble,
Vogue,
27 Aug. 2025
Adverb
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Large groups were indiscriminately huddled together and riddled with machine gun fire.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
29 Aug. 2025
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In times of uncertainty, there can be a knee-jerk reaction to either resist any cuts or to cut indiscriminately.—
Leila Saad,
Forbes.com,
20 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Offhand.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/offhand. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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