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
-
Belfer, a single father to 5-year-old Henri and a goldendoodle named Grover, also messages the group to arrange impromptu playdates for his son.—
Sara Lieberman,
Curbed,
4 Mar. 2026
-
With her Electrical Box Theatre, situated across from the historic American Hotel and sausage restaurant and bar Wurstküche, Mero set out to create an impromptu performance space for the sort of experimental artists who no longer have an outlet in downtown’s galleries or more refined stages.—
Todd Martens,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Lo sits casually, leaning back on a puffy office chair, watching Hodgson move around the vast space while trying different variations of line readings.—
David John Chávez,
Mercury News,
1 Mar. 2026
-
While not gruff or unfriendly, the serious New York restaurateur carries a distinct tone of getting down to business, even when casually chatting about how the show has changed over time.—
Heidi Finley,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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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
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Officials said preliminary findings indicate improvised explosive devices hidden inside garbage bins detonated in the city center.—
Ashley Carnahan,
FOXNews.com,
22 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
Sometimes, Academy Award-winning actress Sandra Bullock will offhandedly give you career advice.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
28 Nov. 2025
-
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
-
Trump, as personalist and improvisational as Mohammed bin Salman, has no interest in resolving that identity crisis.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
2 Mar. 2026
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Smith’s extensive rehab involving a string of self-defense, zen and other disability workshops, however, morphed into classes studying improvisational wheelchair movement.—
Mercury News,
Mercury News,
28 Feb. 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
-
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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Kim Jung-hyun likens it to a chain – one that, handled carelessly, might snap or tangle, but handled with care, might yet be unraveled.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
25 Feb. 2026
-
But it shouldn't be approached carelessly, either.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
24 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
The existence of the summaries, known informally as 302 reports, was noted in a Justice Department index included in the document release in response to a law passed by Congress known as the Epstein Files Transparency Act, according to Sollenberger, NPR and other media reports.—
Josh Meyer,
USA Today,
26 Feb. 2026
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Jackson — only 26, and not yet an ordained minister — was dressed informally, in a loose jacket and a hip collarless pullover that distinguished him from the dark-suited, pulpit-ready King and King's conservatively attired associates.—
John Beifuss,
Memphis Commercial Appeal,
18 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Offhand.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/offhand. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.
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