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
Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 14 Feb. 2026
Your interest in being able to toss an Alexander Pope quotation or an offhand fact about the history of saffron into a conversation is true.
—Talia Argondezzi, New Yorker, 3 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
Punt e Mes 3 dashes Angostura Bitters This certainly isn’t the most popular of Manhattan variations, despite being one of the few scotch cocktails people can name offhand.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 14 Feb. 2026
Your interest in being able to toss an Alexander Pope quotation or an offhand fact about the history of saffron into a conversation is true.
—Talia Argondezzi, New Yorker, 3 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 in a city like New York, where many apartments aren’t conducive to hosting on a big scale and an impromptu dinner is anything that gets scheduled less than two months in advance, cultivating Ramadan spirit takes a lot of effort.—
Sarah Khan,
Vogue,
10 Mar. 2026
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The responses turned Deschanel’s negative review into something of an impromptu audition for bakeries eager to win her over.—
Ryan Brennan,
Miami Herald,
9 Mar. 2026
Adverb
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Who’s casually driving around Marietta Square with that kind of payload?—
AJ Willingham,
AJC.com,
10 Mar. 2026
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The baby blue shade is on-trend and so easy to dress-up with kitten heels or wear casually with sneakers and a sweater.—
Kaitlin Clapinski,
InStyle,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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That reaction — genuine, visceral enjoyment from someone who evaluates food professionally — is about as strong an endorsement as an improvised pita sandwich can get.—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
4 Mar. 2026
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And four years after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a look at the many obstacles to peace and how Ukraine has pioneered a scrappy, improvised way of fighting, built around inexpensive drones.—
February 26,
NPR,
26 Feb. 2026
Adverb
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Sometimes, Academy Award-winning actress Sandra Bullock will offhandedly give you career advice.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
28 Nov. 2025
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The tragedy side of things is addressed rather offhandedly — occasionally the movie will remember the boggling grief and betrayal at its center, only to shrug it off again just as quickly.—
Richard Lawson,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The class is led by improv comedian and educator Amanda Lee Williams, who uses improvisational theater techniques to help future caregivers communicate more effectively with people living with dementia.—
Brian Unger,
CBS News,
5 Mar. 2026
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Their collaborative debut has improvisational spirit and real feeling.—
Marcus J. Moore,
Pitchfork,
5 Mar. 2026
Adverb
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That standard would uphold the NCAA’s interpretation of the waiver rule so long as the NCAA didn’t act arbitrarily or capriciously, either of which is difficult to show.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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There are questions about the rights of citizens versus non-citizens, the rights of the US to pull visas arbitrarily.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
16 Jan. 2026
Adverb
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Children are not cars whose gas tanks can simply be carelessly overfilled.—
Lauren Arikan,
Baltimore Sun,
5 Mar. 2026
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For the visitors’ winner, Anthony Gordon unwisely attempted to dribble inside his own half and carelessly lost possession.—
Chris Waugh,
New York Times,
2 Mar. 2026
Adverb
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The department, which was informally renamed as the Department of War via executive order last year, addressed the red lines in a social media post last week.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
5 Mar. 2026
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Behind the scenes during the evening, teams meet with draft prospects both formally and informally.—
Pete Sweeney,
Kansas City Star,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Offhand.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/offhand. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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