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View synonyms for out of kilter

out of kilter

  1. Also, out of whack. Not properly adjusted, not working well, out of order. For example, This whole schedule is out of kilter with the rest of our projects, or The wheels on the trailer are out of whack. The first term, also spelled kelter, dates from the early 1600s and its origin is not known. The precise allusion of the variant, a colloquial term dating from the late 1800s, is also unclear. Possibly it relates to a whack, or blow, throwing something off, or some suggest, to wacky, that is, “crazy.”



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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 party playlist, with disco hits blasting through stoppages, felt out of kilter with the rising tension.

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These views are widely prevalent among those currently inclined to vote for Reform but are often out of kilter with the population as a whole.

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When a person is granted asylum in the UK, they can apply to bring their family too but Cooper believes changes to policies across Europe mean the UK is now out of kilter with its neighbours and restrictions are needed.

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It also threw finely tuned global supply chains out of kilter and created shortages of vital parts.

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In that context, it's the Spa result that should be seen as out of kilter, not Hungary.

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out of keyout of line