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 The film feels fresh and off-the-cuff, as if someone traveled back to 1940 with an iPhone and hit record, chronicling the dark years of far-right obedience and moral decadence. — Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 20 May 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 Keeping up with Truth Social posts, press conferences and off-the-cuff Oval Office remarks from the president can feel like drinking from a fire hose. — Kevin Maloney, The Conversation, 18 May 2026 Despite this decrease, the show has never been more popular and pointed, its famously off-the-cuff production schedule allowing Parker and Stone to respond to, and satirize, the world in nearly real time. — Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 19 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for off-the-cuff

Recent Examples of Synonyms for off-the-cuff

Adjective

Arepas and coffee anchor impromptu support circles, as grieving customers cling to fragile hope for the missing.

— Melody Xu, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026
An impromptu blind date with a handsome rapist ends with Esther punching him square in the nose, his blood gushing through her fingers.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 July 2026

Definition of impromptu

Adjective

Leigh is known for making films in a collaborative, improvisational process with his performers and has stayed close with O’Flynn through the years.

— Josef Adalian, Vulture, 29 June 2026
The 34th annual edition of this popular festival, which focuses on improvisational, funk, roots and various styles of jam band music, takes place at the Nevada County Fairgrounds in Grass Valley.

— Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 25 June 2026

Definition of improvisational

Adjective

Outside hospitals, temporary shelters and improvised morgues, relatives continue posting photographs and names of missing family members on social media, hoping someone might recognize them or provide information about their fate.

— Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 4 July 2026
An improvised rescue operation is searching for survivors after Venezuela’s historic earthquakes.

— Hannah Jocelyn, New Yorker, 1 July 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 7 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of off-the-cuff

adjective

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