How to Use off-kilter in a Sentence

off-kilter

adjective
  • The truths in her writing are as off-kilter as her singing.
    — New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026
  • When there are just three people, that balance is thrown way off-kilter.
    — Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 2 Nov. 2023
  • No such respite awaits his characters, who all seem off-kilter.
    — Tim Grierson, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2024
  • But there are other lessons to learn in this sweet, off-kilter comedy.
    — Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post, 5 Feb. 2024
  • Karen is prone to tilting her head as to suggest that our world is slightly off-kilter.
    — Karen Heller, Washington Post, 10 May 2023
  • Primus specialize in bass-heavy, off-kilter rock with a goofy sense of humor.
    — Ross Raihala, Twin Cities, 2 June 2025
  • This off-kilter confidence is the crux of her appeal.
    — Carrie Battan, Vulture, 15 Jan. 2026
  • To date, there still hasn’t been anything else quite as pleasurably off-kilter.
    — Pitchfork, 1 Oct. 2024
  • The tune is sharp, memorably off-kilter, and very, very funny.
    — Erin Strecker, IndieWire, 15 Oct. 2024
  • At times, the visuals feel strange, even off-kilter, but that’s on purpose.
    — Vulture, 21 June 2023
  • Over the last decade, pop stars have sought out this off-kilter vision of how female bodies can move.
    — Coralie Kraft, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2024
  • If your cap looks off-kilter, seat it properly and test to see if that fixes the problem.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 9 Feb. 2026
  • The clay and papier-mâché face has morphed over time, setting the eyes a bit off-kilter.
    — Jack Nicas Dado Galdieri, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2024
  • While spinning on its axis, Earth wobbles like an off-kilter top.
    — Bywarren Cornwall, science.org, 16 June 2023
  • Frankly, Starkey said being in the Who sometimes kept him off-kilter.
    — Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 17 June 2025
  • Washing one heavy blanket or a single pair of jeans can throw the drum off-kilter and strain the machine.
    — Lauryn Higgins, Time, 1 July 2025
  • Ask questions, be persistent, and if anything seems off-kilter, see to it right away.
    — Mirjam Swanson, Orange County Register, 11 Apr. 2024
  • Outside, there’s an off-kilter pool with floating furniture and drinks at the ready.
    — Kelly Allen, House Beautiful, 21 July 2023
  • The writers have mined that off-kilter camaraderie to great effect.
    — Lisa Rosen, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2023
  • Everything was sort of flowy and weird and off-kilter — and few straight lines except for the pleats themselves.
    — Rebecca Milzoff, Billboard, 28 June 2024
  • Here are four off-kilter, on-brand ways to do that — courtesy of Denver Post staffers.
    — The Know, Denver Post, 14 Oct. 2025
  • Feeling a little confused, concerned, off-kilter, out of sorts?
    — Rachel Treisman, NPR, 15 Apr. 2026
  • Classic shapes like a neat overcoat, or prim skirt arrived in off-kilter colors and patterns.
    — Christina Holevas, Vogue, 3 Mar. 2026
  • Everything about that show was surreal and off-kilter.
    — Marina Watts, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Mar. 2026
  • Unaccounted weight on one side can also set the capsule off-kilter.
    — Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2026
  • With its fast-changing time signatures and off-kilter melodies, this song is treacherous ground for any singer.
    — Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 May 2025
  • Both artists are masters of the avant-garde, Black futurists, and off-kilter divas.
    — Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 30 May 2025
  • Of the 21 works on view, every piece has its own spirit, ranging from stern to wildly off-kilter.
    — Elle Decor Editors, ELLE Decor, 8 Mar. 2023
  • Djokovic played his third-round match, but looked understandably off-kilter and lost to Tabilo.
    — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2025
  • And because the cut is all about an off-kilter feel, natural texture only lends to the structure.
    — Calin Van Paris, InStyle, 4 July 2026

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'off-kilter.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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