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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of offhand
Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2026
The key question here is whether the comment was feedback to be considered or simply an offhand remark to be dismissed.
—Johnny C. Taylor Jr, USA Today, 24 Feb. 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
The film gathers small details — a slight here, an offhand accusation there, a minor humiliation there — that collectively become overwhelming.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2026
The key question here is whether the comment was feedback to be considered or simply an offhand remark to be dismissed.
—Johnny C. Taylor Jr, USA Today, 24 Feb. 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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But the studio’s initial footage and photos certainly led many to assume this was an impromptu moment, and media outlets covered the stunt without knowing the lucky tourists were hand-picked by the studio.—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
18 May 2026
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In an Instagram carousel posted on Tuesday, April 21, the mogul shared snaps from what appears to be an impromptu photo shoot in her home — with her massive wall of Hermès serving as a backdrop.—
Catherine Santino,
PEOPLE,
14 May 2026
Adverb
-
After squeezing the game’s final out, first baseman Leyton MacPherson casually flipped the ball in the air, joined her teammate in a sprint toward Spangler, and gloves began flying.—
Don Norcross,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 May 2026
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Soon there’s a birthday party, Valentine’s Day, a brit bat (aka a baby-naming ceremony), Purim (a celebration of Jewish deliverance casually referred to as Jewish Halloween), and a game night at a beer garden.—
Hugh Hart,
IndieWire,
23 May 2026
Adjective
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In March, a man bearing an AR-15-style rifle crashed a car loaded with improvised explosives into a Michigan Jewish preschool near dismissal time.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
21 May 2026
-
The over 13-minute uncut interview shows the rapper thoroughly unsettling Colbert, in an improvised rap about, among other things, a romantic relationship between the pair of them.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
20 May 2026
Adverb
-
America is offhandedly disregarding science.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
15 May 2026
-
Sometimes, Academy Award-winning actress Sandra Bullock will offhandedly give you career advice.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
28 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Joined on his visit by son Hunter, what Fieri (and likely many viewers) discovered was a chef turning out dishes that are at once creative and accessible, improvisational yet simple.—
Ben Crandell,
Sun Sentinel,
13 May 2026
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But seeing the improvisational group War Babies provided the clarity Short desperately needed.—
Erin Jensen,
USA Today,
12 May 2026
Adverb
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The people whose few belongings were being arbitrarily picked up and thrown by a crane into the trash were not harassing staff.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
24 May 2026
-
According to Mavares, investigators then arbitrarily selected which officers would remain detained.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
11 May 2026
Adverb
-
Some are dumped carelessly back into local waters.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
19 May 2026
-
Here Athane and Nguyen rather carelessly traffic in AIDS allegory, which clangs badly against the movie’s otherwise silly, lighthearted demeanor.—
Richard Lawson,
HollywoodReporter,
17 May 2026
Adverb
-
If policies are vague, documentation is thin or authority is informally exercised, questions will follow.—
William Phillips,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
-
Initially, Lyndes informally suggested the renovation project during a city budget planning session in early April.—
Barbara Henry,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Offhand.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/offhand. Accessed 27 May. 2026.
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