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 To minimize conflict concerns, Mare offhandedly volunteers to temporarily work at the Cincinnati Chronicle, the Teller’s sister paper, while some of its staff members are on maternity leave. — Senior Television, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026 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

According to Jewish tradition, worn out sacred texts can’t be casually discarded; instead, they are stored in a geniza, a repository usually located within a synagogue or buried at a Jewish cemetery.

— Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 1 Nov. 2026
Aryna Sabalenka casually displayed her massive engagement ring in a new Instagram carousel.

— Hannah Malach, InStyle, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of casually

Adverb

An outright ban on the use of the technology would remove a valuable tool only because some departments have used it carelessly.

— Edward Longe, Washington Post, 2 Nov. 2026
But don’t think Obama choose that reference carelessly, or just for humor.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of carelessly

Adverb

Place names that are changed arbitrarily and without due process should not be recognized by the international community.

— Reuben Rose-Redwood, Time, 23 Oct. 2026
The judge said the school board inserted its own opinions into the decision, and thus acted arbitrarily and illegally.

— Tara Lynch, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of arbitrarily

Adverb

Klosterman was hired to replace Sean Wesley and informally kept counsel with him.

— Matt Le Cren, Chicago Tribune, 3 Nov. 2026
The main room there is articulated around a sculptural, 20-foot curved wooden display unit, informally dubbed the Library, which for the opening displayed ready-to-wear on one side, and the recently launched Horsebit Duomo bag on the other.

— Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of informally

Adverb

It’s been over a year since Audrey Hobert released her debut album, Who’s the Clown, but the world still can’t get enough of her whimsically addicting pop songs.

— Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 15 Oct. 2026
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

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

The Republican losses indiscriminately wiped out GOP firebrands, moderates and veteran conservatives nationwide.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 5 Nov. 2026
Legibility is better than permissiveness, because a business that declares its rules can enforce them, while a business that blocks indiscriminately can only hope.

— Dvir Ginzburg, Fortune, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of indiscriminately

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 7 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of offhandedly

adverb

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