OFFHANDEDLY Synonyms: 48 Similar and Opposite Words

offhandedly

adverb

as in casually

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of offhandedly With the wedding just a few weeks away, Gail offhandedly introduces Tom to the concept of the celebrity pass, in which each person in a committed partnership is allowed to have sex with one famous person of his or her choice, identified in advance. — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 10 July 2026 Cardenas announced Apollo 3 in much the same way, offhandedly during our conversation. — John Koetsier, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026 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 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for offhandedly

Adverb

König suggests strength training and reformer Pilates before casually adjusting my slightly uneven hips with chiropractic confidence.

— Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 23 Aug. 2026
Neece is calmly and casually kind, like a faithful bloodhound without jowls.

— Emma Madden, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of casually

Adverb

Omar Alderete, O’Nien’s second-half replacement, carelessly did the same thing for the late winner.

— Stuart James, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Since it was designated the first national recreation area in 1964, hordes of visitors have cut Lake Mead’s glassy surface with jet skis and boats, carelessly dropping belongings that may now wash up on shore.

— Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of carelessly

Adverb

Attorneys for the players said Thursday that the Cobb County court found the plaintiffs are likely to succeed on claims that the NCAA applied its eligibility rules arbitrarily and inconsistently.

— Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 7 Aug. 2026
The government says the law does not allow land to be taken arbitrarily.

— ABC News, ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of arbitrarily

Adverb

For years, league executives have informally surveyed players about how to fix the Pro Bowl.

— Jonathan Jones, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
People have been informally betting on Mother Nature for more than 100 years, Pietruska said, dating to the 1880s when people in India would gamble on whether a rain gauge would overflow during a monsoon.

— Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of informally

Adverb

Sculptures whimsically assembled from chairs, lamps, and a filing cabinet pulled from Cultural Center storage get roped off by floor tape that cleverly extends the artworks themselves, upending standard museum practice while also sticking to it.

— Lori Waxman, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2026
Out in the high desert near Cabazon, my favorite stops are Hadley’s Fruit Orchards, home of the famous Hadley date shakes, and the whimsically Cabazon Dinosaur sculptors.

— Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026

Definition of whimsically

Adverb

Mara, Lisa and Astrid say bizarre and unsettling things, their cruelty and spite sometimes offhand, sometimes calculated.

— Sheri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Apr. 2022
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

Definition of offhand

Adverb

Permits that are granted and withdrawn capriciously, tax credits that come and go, technologies that fall in or out of favor in successive administrations, and endless legal battles all amount to dangerous barriers to investment.

— Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 16 Apr. 2026
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

Definition of capriciously

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“Offhandedly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/offhandedly. Accessed 29 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of offhandedly

adverb

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