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

Record transfer Alexander Isak is still yet to get off the mark, German playmaker Florian Wirtz is currently injured and left-back Milos Kerkez continues to struggle.

From BBC

Sean Dyche picked up his second win in five games - after Ange Postecoglou's none in eight - though he will be thankful they faced a very poor Leeds United to get off the mark in the Premier League.

From BBC

The Budget is going to be a challenge, but catastrophic suggestions about British bankruptcy and bailouts seem quite spectacularly off the mark, assuming that is, that the government does have nearly 400 MPs for its agenda.

From BBC

Now, in her seventh appearance, she has finally got off the mark.

From BBC

Taylor believes it has created unrealistic expectations and that those who expected it to create a decision-making "utopia" were "way off the mark".

From BBC

Related Words

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