be miles out

1. To be miles away from some place, thing, or destination, literally or figuratively. Unfortunately, we're still miles out, so we're not going to get there by 8 o'clock. If you go sailing when the current is this strong, you'll be miles out before you know it. I'm a researcher, so I'm miles out of my comfort zone when I have to actually interact with patients.

2. To be extremely incorrect or mistaken; to be totally off-base. Considering they lost 8–1, it seems he was miles out when he publicly guaranteed his team's victory. Wait, they invented this thing in the 1950s? I thought it was created in the '90s—I was miles out! A: "I was miles out when I thought that box would be inexpensive to mail." B: "Well, it was a pretty big box."