1
as in bizarre
different from the ordinary in a way that causes curiosity or suspicion
an offbeat approach to the task, but it gets the job done
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in unusual
noticeably different from what is generally found or experienced
this writer has an enjoyably offbeat sense of humor
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of offbeat
The request and combination were so offbeat that both artists agreed to take part, quickly, and the band took over writing duties after Frito-Lay staffers first tried their own hand at a parody of their 2001 tune.
—
Brian Steinberg, Variety, 26 Mar. 2026
On the big screen, Brendon appeared in offbeat horror films like 2000’s Psycho Beach Party, 2002’s Demon Island, and 2013’s Coherence.
—Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 21 Mar. 2026
Released amid the environmental movement of the early 1970s, the film was a modest success at the time but later became a cult favorite, in large part due to Dern’s offbeat performance and the handmade quality of its world.
—Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2026
Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim even brought their offbeat sense of humor to a Super Bowl commercial.
—Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for offbeat
Brian Steinberg, Variety, 26 Mar. 2026
On the big screen, Brendon appeared in offbeat horror films like 2000’s Psycho Beach Party, 2002’s Demon Island, and 2013’s Coherence.
—Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 21 Mar. 2026
Released amid the environmental movement of the early 1970s, the film was a modest success at the time but later became a cult favorite, in large part due to Dern’s offbeat performance and the handmade quality of its world.
—Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2026
Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim even brought their offbeat sense of humor to a Super Bowl commercial.
—Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for offbeat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for offbeat
Adjective
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The goggles, the GPS address and the laptop — all of it was strong evidence supporting the bizarre story Denise and Aaron had been telling all along.—
Lauren Clark,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2026
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His YouTube page, once an online venue for his songs, was more recently dedicated to paranoid rants about his family members, some centering on his relationship with his grandfather, and others where Valdez displayed bizarre behavior like imitating Nazi soldiers.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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When a series of tragic failures at New Era Community Health Center left scores of the county’s weakest, poorest and most erratic residents in danger, Florida health inspectors took the unusual step of threatening to shut down the home.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
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Many of Barbosa’s followers know him for his unusual feats like holding the Guinness World Record for the fastest visits to every CTA station or sprinting through the United Center during a Bulls game.—
Audrey Pachuta,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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There’s a funny reason why the pain flares in your upper face and forehead, a bit of a distance from the area responsible for the cold.—
Julia Daye,
Popular Science,
2 Apr. 2026
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As funny as her life seems, like everyone's, serious moments pepper the comedy.—
David Oliver,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Such mistakes should be uncommon for this group.—
Daniel Sperry,
Kansas City Star,
28 Mar. 2026
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Little was charged with Cizek's murder, despite authorities not being able to locate his body, which is an uncommon step in a homicide case.—
Jennifer McRae,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Some 18 months ago, Mack said, the Royals launched a deep dive after Picollo broached the possibility of exploring strange new worlds.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
31 Mar. 2026
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But rather than avoiding strange quantum phenomena such as superposition and entanglement, Bennett and Brassard embraced them.—
Joseph Howlett,
Scientific American,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Everyone got obsessed with weird things in the pandemic, like jigsaw puzzles or baking sourdough.—
Kate Bradshaw,
Mercury News,
27 Mar. 2026
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Running a restaurant can do some weird things to your head.—
Sam Stone,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Humor about the pickle often stems from its distinctiveness—its tangy, assertive flavor and odd appearance lend themselves to exaggerated, whimsical depictions.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
31 Mar. 2026
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Indeed, the evening was so odd that even the famously reclusive poet Robinson Jeffers, who rarely attended parties, left home to experience the spectacle for himself.—
Serena Turner,
Vanity Fair,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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His peculiar online lingo, derived from the looks-maxxing community, has seeped into the culture.—
Will Gottsegen,
The Atlantic,
26 Mar. 2026
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And its tendrils, perhaps the most peculiar part of the plant, are light-colored and shaped like thin wires.—
Andrés Muedano,
JSTOR Daily,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Offbeat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/offbeat. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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