on the off chance

on the off chance

In hope rather than expectation

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Main Entry: ↑chance

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on the off chance phrase

if you do something on the off chance, you do it even though you think it is unlikely to succeed

She thought of ringing him on the off chance of catching him at home.

Thesaurus: not planned_synonym

Main entry: chance

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on the off chance

— used to talk about something that might happen or be true but that is not likely

I called his office on the off chance that he would still be there [=I called because I thought there was a slight chance that he would still be there], but he had already left.

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Main Entry: ↑chance