Definitions

askew

[uh-skyoo] / əˈskyu /

ADJECTIVE

crooked

Synonyms

STRONGEST

awry off-center

WEAK

askance askant aslant bent buckled catawampus cockeyed crookedly curved knotted lopsided oblique obliquely slanted slanting to one side topsy-turvey turned twisted yaw ways zigzag

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.

There are a number of other reasons someone might look askew from the back view.

From Slate • Feb. 22, 2026

It comes across like a Charli XCX album, but one that’s slightly and intriguingly askew.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 17, 2026

“As a regulator, in some ways you never have enough people, but the supply and demand curve is getting a little askew here.”

From Barron's • Feb. 9, 2026

Coating cools while dripping from an arm, smiles askew send mixed signals, smeared eyes like they’d been up late partying with the tarts, blemishes, cracked sugary skin.

From Salon • Feb. 5, 2026

Harry fell backward, his glasses askew, clutching the Cloak around him.

From "Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire" by J. K. Rowling

Vocabulary lists containing askew

List 3

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Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

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Chains

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