off the mark

Idioms  

1. Also, wide of the mark. Inaccurate, wrong, as in The forecast was off the mark, since unemployment is down, or His answers on the test were just wide of the mark. It is also put as miss the mark, meaning “be mistaken,” as in The minister missed the mark when he assumed everyone would contribute to the supper. All these terms allude to mark in the sense of “a target,” as do the antonyms on the mark and hit the mark, meaning “exactly right,” as in He was right on the mark with that budget amendment, or Bill hit the mark when he accused Tom of lying. [Mid-1300s]

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Example Sentences

In some cases, the fish attempted to rub off the mark within the first hour of seeing a mirror.

From Science Daily • Feb. 23, 2026

The problem is that seasonal hiring patterns have been altered by the pandemic, and sometimes the adjustments are off the mark.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 8, 2026

A cautious Bethell took 15 balls to get off the mark and never looked confident.

From Barron's • Jan. 4, 2026

While the expected range went from black to charcoal and silver gray and on to his beloved beige, his colors were artfully off the mark.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 4, 2025

One or two of the rats were a bit slow off the mark, but not as slow as Colin Vole and his mother, who were roughly grabbed by the faster sentries.

From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques

Related Words

• bogus
• deceitful
• dishonest
• distorted
• erroneous
• fake
• fanciful
• faulty
• fictitious
• fraudulent
• improper
• inaccurate
• incorrect
• invalid
• misleading
• mistaken
• phony
• specious
• spurious
• unfounded