cast (off) 1 of 3

castoff

2 of 3

noun

as in reject
one who is cast out or rejected by society a castoff who later became a famous poet

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

cast-off

3 of 3

adjective

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of cast-off
Verb
Horák had similarly repurposed cast-off items to deliver a vegetarian course of cavatelli pasta. Christine Muhlke, Travel + Leisure, 11 Aug. 2025 There was blood cast-off on the walls in various places, including above Xana's body. Robert Birsel hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 July 2025 The object doesn’t display a large tail or enveloping coma of cast-off gas, only a hint of dust—but that is expected to change soon. Jonathan O'Callaghan, Scientific American, 16 July 2025 On the table in the middle of the room were silicone peels reminiscent of cast-off snakeskin. Literary Hub, 14 July 2025 Inconsistency and injuries have plagued his first two seasons, leading the Colts to acquire New York Giants cast-off Daniel Jones, another former top-10 pick. Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 June 2025 The material underfoot was dark brown and appeared to be a mix of wood chips and woody debris, dotted with cast-off rubber and plastic — the shred of a Spalding basketball here, a purple plastic squirrel there. Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2025 Taco Bell also resurrected Crispy Chicken Nuggets, made with all-white meat chicken, zesty jalapeño buttermilk seasoning, and tortilla chip breading, a cast-off from 2021 menus, now available nationwide. Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2025 Russia tops the chart of cast-off rockets at this altitude, with 512 uncontrolled spacecraft that could ultimately threaten robotic and human explorers across low Earth orbit. Kevin Holden Platt, Forbes, 13 Oct. 2024
Adjective
The series, based on novels by Mick Herron, follows a band of castoffs from the British national security service who are relegated to a ramshackle office building, with Lamb at its head. Barbara Ellis, Denver Post, 20 Oct. 2025 Yet Lemaire, his coaching staff and a bunch of expansion castoffs competed valiantly, and in 2003, just the third year of the franchise, rallied from a pair of 3-1 series deficits to shock the hockey world and advance to the Western Conference final. Michael Russo, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025 Aside from Browning, the only other signal-caller on the active roster is Brett Rypien, who was a castoff of the Minnesota Vikings late in the preseason. Max Dible, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Sep. 2025 This is the story of a castoff turned savior. Christian Orozco, NBC news, 25 Sep. 2025 Now, thrift stores and clothing markets from Bulgaria to the Czech Republic are groaning with castoffs. The Editors, Robb Report, 7 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cast-off
Verb
  • While index funds have made markets more accessible and slashed management fees, BlackRock's Fink said that the funds are considered the ultimate long-term investors, and unlike active investors, don't usually dump stocks when corporate governance issues arise.
    Alex Harring, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2025
  • Tropical Storm Melissa is effectively parked in the central Caribbean, dumping devastating amounts of rain on Haiti and Jamaica that has already claimed at least three lives and destroyed one bridge.
    Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 24 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • In it, Jackson Lamb (Oldman), River Cartwright (Jack Lowden) and the rest of the MI5 rejects are on the case — and a bit on the defense.
    Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2025
  • As the saying goes, nobody wants to sit at the reject table.
    Pamela N. Danziger, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • In another development, researchers in the US developed a new method that could turn discarded data center hardware into a reliable, eco-friendly source of rare earths and valuable metals.
    Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 16 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • She is accused of killing her 39-year-old boyfriend, David Carter, dismembering him then discarding his body parts along I-75 near Hancock, Ohio in September 2018.
    Christine Pelisek, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
  • Cool the sauce completely, then strain and discard the solids, and pour it into the tray.
    Malaka Gharib, NPR, 25 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The 14 remaining castaways morphed into two tribes of seven, with the original Hina holding a majority alliance in one tribe, while the original Uli held a majority in the other.
    Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 16 Oct. 2025
  • In 48 seasons, not a single Survivor castaway has been removed from the game as a result of an animal attack.
    Nick Caruso, TVLine, 10 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Winter break is increasingly becoming a time when families seek to ditch holiday stress and head to a destination where the focus is on time spent together without the pressure of having to plan daily activities.
    Suzanne Wright, USA Today, 28 Oct. 2025
  • Airbnb's 2025/2026 winter report reveals families are ditching big resorts for quiet charm and unexpected shores.
    Lydia Price, Travel + Leisure, 28 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Unfortunate outcast kids Lilly (Clara Stack), Ronnie (Amanda Christine), Phil (Jack Molloy Legault) and Terry (Mikkal Karim Fidler) are at the center of the mysterious disappearances and the supernatural horrors, to their very poor luck and dismay of the adults in their lives.
    Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 23 Oct. 2025
  • This film is truly the stuff of teen-outcast nightmares.
    Emma Specter, Vogue, 19 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Local laws and supplier audits The OECD has called on Shein to publish further public information about its compliance with France’s anti-waste law (AGEC), which aims to move businesses toward greater circularity.
    Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 1 Oct. 2025
  • This anti-waste brand upcycles materials, and was founded by Kisa Sky Shiga.
    Nadja Sayej, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2022

Browse Nearby Words

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cast-off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cast-off. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!