out of kilter

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out of kilter

1. (idiomatic) Disturbed; askew; out of order; not working or adjusted properly.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:out of order

   • 17 June 2018, Barney Ronay, The Guardian, Mexico’s Hirving Lozano stuns world champions Germany for brilliant win:

     This was a champion team out of kilter, stung by what was arguably an act of disrespect to their opponents, a failure to appreciate their threat and the fine planning of Carlos Osorio, and never really able to regain its balance.

   • 1941 March, “AN AIRLINER CRACKS UP IN PINE WOODS NEAR ATLANTA AMD SEVEN PEOPLE DIE”, in Life:

     Snowstorms often knock the Government's Salt Lake radio range out of kilter.

   • 1851, Sojourner Truth and Frances Dana Barker Gage, Ain't I a Woman?:

     Well, children, where there is so much racket there must be something out of kilter. I think that 'twixt the negroes of the South and the women at the North, all talking about rights, the white men will be in a fix pretty soon.

   I stayed up late to watch a movie, and my entire sleeping schedule has been out of kilter ever since.

Often used with throw, as in "an impact can throw the adjustment out of kilter".

• off-kilter