off the cuff

off the cuff
1 of 2
phrase
: without preparation : ad lib
speaking off the cuff
off-the-cuff

2 of 2
adjective
;;f-;h;;-;k;f
: not prepared in advance : spontaneous, informal
off-the-cuff remarks
off-the-cuff adverb

Synonyms of off the cuff
Relevance
Adjective

impromptu
improvisational
improvised
Examples of off the cuff in a Sentence
Adjective
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. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
Linklater stays true to the iconic 1960 film’s off-the-cuff tone and style, including filming it in B&W.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 26 Nov. 2025
Those smile-stealing, off-the-cuff camcorder moments make what could have been a stale documentary into a much more personal portrait of the singer, who was killed in 1995.
—Sof;a Hanalei Sanchez, CNN Money, 16 Nov. 2025
Cherki is a dying breed of player, particularly now he’s been transferred to a Premier League which has moved away from off-the-cuff dribblers and towards set-play schemes.
—Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 8 Nov. 2025
More importantly, this origin story of a movie and a movement apes the joie de moviemaking and the jazzy looseness of the original to an absolutely amazing degree, replicating an off-the-cuff feeling that’s more than a second-hand buzz.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 31 Oct. 2025

Word History
First Known Use
Adjective

1936, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of off the cuff was in 1936
See more words from the same year