1
as in bizarre
different from the ordinary in a way that causes curiosity or suspicion
he's nice enough, but there's something a little off-kilter about him
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2
as in uneven
inclined or twisted to one side
to me, the painting on the wall looks a little off-kilter
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Recent Examples of off-kilter
For his portrayal of the Caped Crusader, Pattinson abandoned the usual Bruce Wayne playboy persona, opting for a more off-kilter, emo version of the character when out of his bat suit.
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Shania Russell, EW.com, 4 Dec. 2024
The narrator of this wonderfully off-kilter novel, an elderly man, recalls his doting grandmother and his boyhood infatuation with a girl who danced on the balcony opposite his family’s apartment, in Naples.
—The New Yorker, 25 Nov. 2024
But not even Jackson and his usual otherworldliness could rescue Baltimore, in part because of the Steelers defense keeping him off-kilter, but also because of errors by those around him.
—Brian Wacker, Baltimore Sun, 17 Nov. 2024
That’s one of the questions that animates this off-kilter, unsettling series executive-produced by M. Night Shyamalan, who directs several episodes, as does his daughter, filmmaker Ishana Night Shyamalan.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for off-kilter 
Shania Russell, EW.com, 4 Dec. 2024
The narrator of this wonderfully off-kilter novel, an elderly man, recalls his doting grandmother and his boyhood infatuation with a girl who danced on the balcony opposite his family’s apartment, in Naples.
—The New Yorker, 25 Nov. 2024
But not even Jackson and his usual otherworldliness could rescue Baltimore, in part because of the Steelers defense keeping him off-kilter, but also because of errors by those around him.
—Brian Wacker, Baltimore Sun, 17 Nov. 2024
That’s one of the questions that animates this off-kilter, unsettling series executive-produced by M. Night Shyamalan, who directs several episodes, as does his daughter, filmmaker Ishana Night Shyamalan.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for off-kilter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for off-kilter
Adjective
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Red One seemed like a bizarre experiment, some sort of action film-adjacent Santa Claus movie starring Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans that almost seemed to be a sort of parody of itself.Paul Tassi, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024
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Her material consists of tales of her bizarre upbringing, highly unconventional family, and filterless confessions of her time on this filthy planet.Matt Grobar, Deadline, 17 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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But changes to the original text result in a talky microcosm with uneven performance rhythms (John David Washington is boisterous, frantic, and out of sync).Armond White, National Review, 27 Dec. 2024
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Economic Instability: The Fourth Turning signals economic disruption, with uneven income growth and widespread insecurity.Bob Haber, Forbes, 27 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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These are strange, unqualified people whose already worrisome scandals seem to have their own sub-scandals.Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 24 Dec. 2024
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Hutter’s wife, Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp), anxiously awaits her husband’s return while experiencing a strange supernatural connection to the Count.Scott Phillips, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The industry is in a weird place, people are really hesitant to take chances on things ... who knows, maybe one day.Paul Tassi, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024
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The salad is vegetal and luxe and weird, a bright spot in an otherwise underlit room.Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The official seizure seals hung crooked across the front gate, half-unstuck.Madeleine Wattenbarger, Eliana Gilet, & Axel Hernández, The Dial, 17 Dec. 2024
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From background to foreground, the painting depicts a haloed Virgin Mary, a young Jesus standing between her knees, St. Jerome asleep on the ground, and St. John the Baptist, clad sparsely in animal skins, pointing a crooked finger toward the figures behind him.Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Remus said the family is leaning into God to cope with the tragedy — along with being OK with laughter when remembering happy or funny moments.Erik S. Hanley, Journal Sentinel, 21 Dec. 2024
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Newsweek readers have also been sending funny and adorable videos and pictures of their pets for our weekly Newsweek Pet of the Week line-up.Gord Magill, Newsweek, 21 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Forwards Franz Wagner remains out as well while dealing with an oblique injury as well.Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 26 Dec. 2024
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The news is the latest tough blow for the Magic, who are already playing without star forwards Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero, both out with oblique injuries.Adam Zagoria, Forbes, 22 Dec. 2024
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All three have been very up-front about the fact that these entreaties are not welcome, and Trump’s continued insistence can only be read as straying from odd towards threat.New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 29 Dec. 2024
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Although its moniker may sound odd, Hungry Mother State Park, fabled to be named after a mother searching for food for her child, is one of Virginia’s oldest state parks.Jennifer Prince, Southern Living, 29 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near off-kilter
Cite this Entry
“Off-kilter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/off-kilter. Accessed 5 Jan. 2025.
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