off 1 of 3

adverb

ˈȯf How to pronounce off (audio)
Definition of offnext
as in away
from this or that place move off a few yards before I throw the football

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off

2 of 3

adjective

1
as in wrong
falling short of a standard the milk tasted off

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2
as in dormant
not being in a state of use, activity, or employment the computer is off, so you'll have to turn it on in order to use it

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3
as in erroneous
not being in agreement with what is true that claim that everyone is actually related to everyone else seems a bit off

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4
as in small
small in degree on the off chance that you do get straight A's, you can skip a grade

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5
as in spicy
hinting at or intended to call to mind matters regarded as indecent a telltale smirk suggested that there was something off about his parting shot

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off

3 of 3

verb

slang
as in to assassinate
to put to death deliberately the hit man was rumored to have offed at least three people in the last year alone

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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 off
Adverb
Advertisement To develop GenoMorph, Colossal scientists built an atlas showing how the genetic switches that control facial development turn on and off as embryos grow in chickens, quail, ducks, and pigeons. — Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 14 Oct. 2026 His dismissal was the turning point – he was caught off Gudakesh Motie at long off in the 12th over. — ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026
Adjective
Dodgers players take part in an off-day workout on Saturday ahead of Game 1 of the NLCS. — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026 Badly injured, Captain Machchhar somehow opened the cockpit door, allowing passengers to overpower al-Hammami, and two off-duty pilots to take control of the plane and land it in Saudi Arabia. — The Week Uk, TheWeek, 10 Oct. 2026
Verb
The masked murderer attempted to kill Sidney (Neve Campbell) in a bathroom in the original 1996 Scream, and succeeded in offing Phil (Omar Epps) in a movie theater bathroom stall in the 1997 sequel. — Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Feb. 2026 Keen observers, Anglophiles, and anyone who watches movies made before 1972 will notice more than a casual similarity to Kind Hearts and Coronets, the old Ealing comedy in which an enterprising young Dennis Price attempts to off his relatives in order to claim the family fortune. — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 19 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for off
  1. away
  2. wrong
  3. dormant
  4. erroneous
  5. small
  6. spicy
  7. assassinate
  8. down
Adverb
  • The famed stage actor, who performed late into his life, didn’t shy away from challenging roles.
    — Anthony Solorzano, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
  • YouTube Europe boss Pedro Pina, a fixture at these events, reminded producers that the platform won’t take work away from them by entering the production game.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of away
Adjective
  • Its argument is that insurers have been pricing wildfire risk the wrong way, by looking backward at statistics and sorting homes by zip code.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The trailer begins as Ziegler’s Mae frantically asks family friend Benny, played by a sleepy Rob Lowe, for help after her big mistake — kissing the wrong brother between Graham Phillips’ Andrew and Elias Kacavas’ Theo.
    — Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of wrong
Adjective
  • In the team's 3-2 loss to the Cleveland Guardians on Thursday at Progressive Field, the offense was dormant.
    — Ryan Canfield OutKick, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Paramount is taking over the Bay Theater, the long-shuttered cinema at Palisades Village formerly leased by Netflix, adding to a wave of revivals of dormant movie theaters across Los Angeles.
    — Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of dormant
Adjective
  • Instead, Denver retained possession and capitalized on the erroneous call to win.
    — Bobby Burack OutKick, FOXNews.com, 6 Oct. 2026
  • That a reporter or two heard of this normal process led to the erroneous inference that a change of leadership is imminent.
    — Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of erroneous
Adjective
  • Comparing households aged 72 and older in 2022 with those aged 75 and older in 2025, Maggiulli calculated a smaller—but still substantial—21% increase.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The development could help make optical atomic clocks smaller and more suitable for use outside laboratories.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of small
Adjective
  • The resulting meatballs were moist, herby, spiced, seasoned, spicy and just a joy to eat.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Braeburns have pronounced sweetness balanced by tartness, and their flavor becomes richer, almost spicy, in the oven.
    — Chris Morocco, Bon Appetit Magazine, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of spicy
Verb
  • This is where Catto was assassinated 155 years ago during a tumultuous Election Day in 1871.
    — Timothy Welbeck, The Conversation, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The plot included plans to assassinate the current president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and his vice president, Geraldo Alckmin.
    — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of assassinate
Adverb
  • Shares of Netflix are down 20% year-to-date on fears the streamer’s days of double-digit gains are coming to an end.
    — Todd Spangler, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
  • According to CrowdStrike’s 2026 Global Threat Report, the average breakout time from initial access to lateral movement is 29 minutes, down 65% from 2024.
    — Asaf Wiener, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of down

Browse Nearby Words

of course
off
offal
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Cite this Entry

“Off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/off. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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