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.
She is thrown further off balance when she receives a message from Sigurd, an ex-boyfriend she hasn’t heard from in almost 30 years, who suddenly wants to meet.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026
This throws off balance the normal equilibrium between buyers and sellers, resulting in significant overvaluation.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 27, 2026
Williams' movement was exposed by Joint, with the American finding herself either off balance or rooted to the spot as a winner went past her.
From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026
Chronic stress is widely known to throw digestion off balance, leading to symptoms like diarrhea or constipation.
From Science Daily ● May 1, 2026
When the bike got off balance, he caught her and broke her fall, letting the bike hit the dirt rather than Angel.
From "Forged by Fire" by Sharon M. Draper
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.
