1
: coming or moving away from the shore toward the water
an offshore breeze
2
a
: situated off the shore but within waters under a country's control
offshore fisheries
b
: distant from the shore compare inshore
3
: situated or operating in a foreign country
offshore mutual funds
offshore banking
off·shore
ˈȯf-ˌshȯr 
: off the shore of
Examples of offshore in a Sentence
Adjective
We sailed to an offshore island.
He works on an offshore oil rig.
They opened an offshore bank account.
He traced the money to an offshore investment company.
Recent Examples on the Web
Cutter Martin, CBS News, 5 Jan. 2026
Instead, he was bundled off in the middle of the night to the USS Iwo Jima steaming offshore in the Caribbean and then a flight to Stewart Air National Guard Base in the Hudson Valley on his way to a New York jail cell to await his trial.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 4 Jan. 2026
Chaewon Chung
updated January 6, Sacbee.com, 7 Jan. 2026
The president is shutting down offshore wind, which is going to raise electric rates.
—Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 6 Jan. 2026
Jeremy Beaman, Washington Examiner, 16 Jan. 2023
The storm began organizing Friday offshore the Carolinas when two disturbances along the jet stream merged over the Southeast.
—Washington Post, 30 Jan. 2022
See All Example Sentences for offshore
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Adverb
Colder, breezier weather returns on Sunday as wet weather pushes offshore.
—Cutter Martin, CBS News, 5 Jan. 2026
Instead, he was bundled off in the middle of the night to the USS Iwo Jima steaming offshore in the Caribbean and then a flight to Stewart Air National Guard Base in the Hudson Valley on his way to a New York jail cell to await his trial.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 4 Jan. 2026
Adjective
Tourism and recreation alone account for 47% of the economic output—almost 10 times the economic benefit of offshore oil drilling, Assemblymember Dawn Addis, D-Morro Bay, said.
—Chaewon Chung
updated January 6, Sacbee.com, 7 Jan. 2026
The president is shutting down offshore wind, which is going to raise electric rates.
—Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 6 Jan. 2026
Preposition
The Outer Continental Shelf offshore Maine is virgin water for wind.
—Jeremy Beaman, Washington Examiner, 16 Jan. 2023
The storm began organizing Friday offshore the Carolinas when two disturbances along the jet stream merged over the Southeast.
—Washington Post, 30 Jan. 2022
See All Example Sentences for offshore
Cite this Entry
“Offshore.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/offshore. Accessed 7 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
offshore
1 of 2 adverb
off·shore
ˈȯf-ˈshō(ə)r
-ˈshȯ(ə)r
: from the shore : at a distance from the shore
offshore
2 of 2 adjective
off·shore
ˈȯf-ˌshō(ə)r
-ˌshȯ(ə)r
1
: coming or moving away from the shore
an offshore breeze
2
: located off the shore
offshore islands
an offshore oil rig
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