: not prepared in advance : spontaneous, informal
off-the-cuff remarks
off-the-cuff adverb

Examples of off-the-cuff in a Sentence

having gotten into hot water with some unfortunate off-the-cuff remarks, the candidate now limits himself to his carefully prepared campaign speech
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Francis reflected in an off-the-cuff remark to reporters outside the prison—his first public comment since falling ill. Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Apr. 2025 The Bad Boys star acknowledges the importance of balancing his famous off-the-cuff humor with projects that the whole family can enjoy. Chris Barilla, People.com, 16 Apr. 2025 The most important [Improv tenet], apparently, is this entry: YES, AND, which describes an approach where every off-the-cuff idea is expanded upon instead of shut down, no matter how outlandish. Caitlin Lovinger, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2025 However, his off-the-cuff announcements and lack of coordination have increasingly caused . Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for off-the-cuff

Word History

First Known Use

1936, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of off-the-cuff was in 1936

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Off-the-cuff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/off-the-cuff. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!