off balance
Idioms-
Out of equilibrium, unsteady, as in When learning how to ride a two-wheeler, it's easy to get off balance and fall , or She stood up and threw the canoe off balance . [Mid-1900s]
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Surprised, unprepared, as in The teacher gives unannounced tests to keep the class off balance . [Second half of 1900s]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The blithe and often zany choreography unfolded intriguingly as its asymmetrical configurations—involving four men, three women and three folding chairs—kept the whole theatrical affair deftly off balance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
These include future data-center lease commitments of $662 billion that sit off balance sheet at present.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 10, 2026
Chronic stress is widely known to throw digestion off balance, leading to symptoms like diarrhea or constipation.
From Science Daily ● May 1, 2026
The 41-year-old's arm got stuck in a gate just 13 seconds into her run on Sunday at Olimpia delle Tofane in Cortina, throwing her off balance.
From BBC ● Feb. 9, 2026
The corpuscule grabbed the bat and yanked it hard, pulling Sierra off balance.
From "Shadowshaper" by Daniel José Older
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
