OFF-THE-CUFF Synonyms: 41 Similar and Opposite Words

off-the-cuff

adjective

ˈȯf-ṯẖə-ˈkəf

Definition of off-the-cuff

as in impromptu

made or done without previous thought or preparation having gotten into hot water with some unfortunate off-the-cuff remarks, the candidate now limits himself to his carefully prepared campaign speech

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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 off-the-cuff You're also restricted to Program exposure for movies, reinforcing that this is a camera for occasional off-the-cuff video clips and not much more. — Jim Fisher, PC Magazine, 31 July 2026 This wasn’t an off-the-cuff comment that came out poorly during a live discussion. — Dan Zaksheske Outkick, FOXNews.com, 30 July 2026 Property management teams are encouraged to converse with residents to gain their off-the-cuff thoughts about the value of different amenities, Khouri says. — Jeffrey Steele, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026 Lines that seem artlessly off-the-cuff on first pass accrue an unexpected weight and purpose the fourth time through; the countrified guitar lick that sounds so chipper at the start of a song is dripping with melancholy by the end. — Stuart Berman, Pitchfork, 4 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for off-the-cuff

Recent Examples of Synonyms for off-the-cuff

Adjective

Yet her inclusion feels totally impromptu, like she and Bryan just got called up for their turn at karaoke and didn’t have a chance to work out the harmonies.

— Walden Green, Pitchfork, 16 Oct. 2026
Moroney, Bryan and 19-year-old singer-songwriter Ty Myers were teased as being part of the lineup in an impromptu drone show over Tower Bridge Wednesday night.

— Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of impromptu

Adjective

These findings suggest that the audience for conversations about the soul is not shrinking, but shifting away from organized religion and toward more personal, improvisational forms of seeking.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Oct. 2026
Last month, at the Earl Scruggs Music Festival in Western North Carolina, MGU rolled through an hour-long set of new material from Appalachian Smoke and intricate improvisational jams.

— Garret K. Woodward, Rolling Stone, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of improvisational

Adjective

Stiff was a record company that was founded on about 1,000 pounds and everything was done in an improvised fashion, including what order the songs came out from different artists.

— Chris Willman, Variety, 8 Oct. 2026
The piece contends that the threat warrants advance legal planning rather than reliance on improvised responses after a disruption occurs.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2026

Definition of improvised

Browse Nearby Words

off-the-books

off-the-cuff

off-the-peg

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“Off-the-cuff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/off-the-cuff. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of off-the-cuff

adjective

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