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

One of them is Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who pulled his negotiators out of Washington on Friday after it became clear that a deal wasn’t in the offing.

From Slate ● Aug. 25, 2026

Deals are still in the offing for the time being, though, since many builders are trying to get unsold homes off their books.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 16, 2026

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

He scented a new story in the offing.

From "Inkheart" by Cornelia Funke

Related Words

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