in the offing

Idioms  

1. In the near or immediate future; soon to come. For example, Jan was delighted that exams were finished and graduation was in the offing. This expression originally meant “in the part of the ocean visible between shore and horizon”; its figurative use dates from the late 1700s. Also see in the wind.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

in the offing

With the SpaceX IPO in the offing, however, Nasdaq reduced its “seasoning” period to only 15 days and removed the 10% threshold.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 9, 2026

President Trump suggested an Israel-Lebanon ceasefire was in the offing on Monday.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 4, 2026

Nvidia shares were buoyed Wednesday by optimism that chief executive Jensen Huang’s last-minute inclusion in the U.S trade delegation to Beijing could indicate an important announcement in the offing.

From MarketWatch ● May 14, 2026

He promised that a “much better deal” was in the offing.

From Slate ● May 1, 2026

But maybe she had reason—maybe another clergyman was in the offing.

From "Johnny Tremain" by Esther Hoskins Forbes

Related Words

• forthcoming
• immediate
• impending
• inevitable
• likely
• looming
• possible
• probable
• unavoidable