as in impromptu
made or done without previous thought or preparation
a quick, offhanded suggestion that was actually much better than any of the prepared proposals
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Recent Examples of offhanded
Her boss seemed to empathize in offhanded comments here and there, but in action and assignments showed no grace.
—
Madeline Mitchell, USA Today, 28 Jan. 2026
An offhanded comment from Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker at the Sept. 30 council meeting is generating controversy online.
—Amanda McCoy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Oct. 2025
Its language, instead, is a chilly French chicness: spiky, refined, offhanded, exuding effortlessness through extraordinary effort.
—Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 27 July 2025
Mistress constantly has her wheels turning looking for avenues to rattle the queens, but Nicole does so with a single offhanded comment that cuts to the quick.
—Chris Feil, Vulture, 23 May 2025
During last week's postgame media availability, Jalen Hurts made a seemingly offhanded comment about Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni.
—Chantz Martin, Fox News, 1 Feb. 2025
In a recent interview, the former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy made an offhanded comment that connected a few dots for me.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 4 Nov. 2024
That isn’t to say that Le Gros, a true indie O.G. who seems to get better with age, and McCarthy don’t give equally nuanced turns, or that Donaldson’s deft way of embedding deep, complicated back stories in offhanded conversational details don’t add to the film immensely.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 11 Aug. 2024
With his offhanded singsong delivery, spare instrumentation and arsenal of songs that manage to be simultaneously downcast and extravagant, Drake has wielded an outsized influence on the sound of mainstream hip-hop and even R&B the past decade.
—Brian McCollum, USA TODAY, 9 July 2023
Madeline Mitchell, USA Today, 28 Jan. 2026
An offhanded comment from Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker at the Sept. 30 council meeting is generating controversy online.
—Amanda McCoy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Oct. 2025
Its language, instead, is a chilly French chicness: spiky, refined, offhanded, exuding effortlessness through extraordinary effort.
—Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 27 July 2025
Mistress constantly has her wheels turning looking for avenues to rattle the queens, but Nicole does so with a single offhanded comment that cuts to the quick.
—Chris Feil, Vulture, 23 May 2025
During last week's postgame media availability, Jalen Hurts made a seemingly offhanded comment about Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni.
—Chantz Martin, Fox News, 1 Feb. 2025
In a recent interview, the former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy made an offhanded comment that connected a few dots for me.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 4 Nov. 2024
That isn’t to say that Le Gros, a true indie O.G. who seems to get better with age, and McCarthy don’t give equally nuanced turns, or that Donaldson’s deft way of embedding deep, complicated back stories in offhanded conversational details don’t add to the film immensely.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 11 Aug. 2024
With his offhanded singsong delivery, spare instrumentation and arsenal of songs that manage to be simultaneously downcast and extravagant, Drake has wielded an outsized influence on the sound of mainstream hip-hop and even R&B the past decade.
—Brian McCollum, USA TODAY, 9 July 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for offhanded
Adjective
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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
Adjective
-
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
Adjective
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Trump, as personalist and improvisational as Mohammed bin Salman, has no interest in resolving that identity crisis.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
2 Mar. 2026
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Offhanded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/offhanded. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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