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
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
Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
Last year, the internet mistook an offhand remark Fox made on TikTok as a coming-out declaration of lesbianism.
—Nicola Dall'asen, Allure, 19 Aug. 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
The instance of someone with an offhand magical mindset is the aspect that ought to give us pause.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
Last year, the internet mistook an offhand remark Fox made on TikTok as a coming-out declaration of lesbianism.
—Nicola Dall'asen, Allure, 19 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for offhand
Recent Examples of Synonyms for offhand
Adjective
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All students must complete an impromptu essay, which involves reading a short text and responding to a question about it within a two-hour time limit.—
Rory Linnane,
jsonline.com,
3 Oct. 2025
-
In public, Mark Kerr speaks amiably about his trainer turned rival and even takes him along for a rowdy impromptu meet-and-greet, but the lack of friction comes off less as a sign of his unflappability than of Safdie’s indifference to probing a friendship beyond buddy-comedy depth.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
30 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
The reformation of the band was casually dropped on the surprised crowd in Cleveland partway through what started off as a far less momentous conversation.—
Annie Zaleski,
Variety,
6 Oct. 2025
-
The linen blend textile feels casually elegant and the grommet rail line ensures the drapes will move smoothly on any rod.—
Shoko Wanger,
Architectural Digest,
6 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Two months later, the group launched more than two dozen attacks across northeastern Syria, relying on a combination of guerrilla tactics, including small arms fire, ambushes, assassinations, and improvised explosive devices targeting military checkpoints and government vehicles.—
Caroline Rose,
Foreign Affairs,
18 Sep. 2025
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The researchers believe this error was not from its knowledge base but was an improvised guess based on their prior conversation about the square’s diagonal.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
17 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The film, shot in the sort of seemingly improvisational, realistic style championed by John Cassavetes, may be too raw for mainstream consumption, but deservingly snagged the festival’s award for Best First Feature.—
Frank Scheck,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Oct. 2025
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By comparison, campaign two felt more scattered and improvisational (befitting a D&D game).—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
1 Oct. 2025
Adverb
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Suiter claimed the county was unable to specifically itemize the various charges that summed to $25,000 — apart from the additional $8,000 for parking — and that the figure had been determined arbitrarily, both allegations that Krueger disputed.—
Jared Kaufman,
Twin Cities,
28 Sep. 2025
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Even arbitrarily far into the future, or all the way back before the hot Big Bang, the Universe would never truly be empty.—
Ethan Siegel,
Big Think,
25 Sep. 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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Local paddlers have started to informally refer to the river as the New-lichucky.—
Rolando Arrieta,
NPR,
29 Sep. 2025
-
The Frostys pitched the idea of informally singing a favorite from their year-round sing-a-long program, Take Me Out to the Ballgame, during the 7th inning stretch, according to a news release.—
News Release,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
Police say the lone suspect indiscriminately shot at the immigration facility from the rooftop of a nearby law office.—
Detroit Free Press,
Freep.com,
28 Sep. 2025
-
The gunman fired indiscriminately at the ICE building, as well as at a van in an entrance where the victims were shot, the statement said.—
Janelle Griffith,
PEOPLE,
24 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Offhand.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/offhand. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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