on-again, off-again
adjective
: existing briefly and in an intermittent unpredictable way
on-again, off-again fads
Examples of on-again, off-again in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Stephanie Arcila starred on Fire Country as Gabriela Perez, a Cal Fire firefighter and paramedic who had an on-again, off-again relationship with Bode.
—
Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Feb. 2026
His on-again, off-again girlfriend, Ashley Dyrdahl, was sentenced to nearly four years in prison last fall for illegally buying the weapons used in the standoff.
—Anthony Bettin, CBS News, 18 Feb. 2026
At the center are Lucy (Grace Van Patten), a college student drawn into an on-again, off-again relationship with Stephen (Jackson White), a charismatic upperclassman still entangled with Diana (Alicia Crowder).
—Jp Mangalindan, Time, 17 Feb. 2026
Despite their on-again, off-again relationship, Machine Gun Kelly took a major step in proposing to Fox with a two-stone ring.
—Christina Perrier, InStyle, 10 Feb. 2026
Based on the book by Carola Lovering, the Hulu series centers on the toxic and manipulative on-again, off-again relationship between college students Lucy Albright (Grace Van Patten) and Stephen DeMarco (Jackson White), whose bond causes a ripple effect of chaos and turmoil for their friend group.
—Maira Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026
Year after year, the need for food support in Rhode Island keeps growing and November's on-again, off-again SNAP benefits freeze put that need in the spotlight.
—Will Richmond, The Providence Journal, 28 Jan. 2026
It’s been on-again, off-again for twenty years and counting.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 27 Jan. 2026
The deal closing suggests an end to an on-again, off-again battle, removing a sticking point in US-China relations at a time when tensions are running high.
—Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 22 Jan. 2026
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Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Feb. 2026
His on-again, off-again girlfriend, Ashley Dyrdahl, was sentenced to nearly four years in prison last fall for illegally buying the weapons used in the standoff.
—Anthony Bettin, CBS News, 18 Feb. 2026
At the center are Lucy (Grace Van Patten), a college student drawn into an on-again, off-again relationship with Stephen (Jackson White), a charismatic upperclassman still entangled with Diana (Alicia Crowder).
—Jp Mangalindan, Time, 17 Feb. 2026
Despite their on-again, off-again relationship, Machine Gun Kelly took a major step in proposing to Fox with a two-stone ring.
—Christina Perrier, InStyle, 10 Feb. 2026
Based on the book by Carola Lovering, the Hulu series centers on the toxic and manipulative on-again, off-again relationship between college students Lucy Albright (Grace Van Patten) and Stephen DeMarco (Jackson White), whose bond causes a ripple effect of chaos and turmoil for their friend group.
—Maira Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026
Year after year, the need for food support in Rhode Island keeps growing and November's on-again, off-again SNAP benefits freeze put that need in the spotlight.
—Will Richmond, The Providence Journal, 28 Jan. 2026
It’s been on-again, off-again for twenty years and counting.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 27 Jan. 2026
The deal closing suggests an end to an on-again, off-again battle, removing a sticking point in US-China relations at a time when tensions are running high.
—Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 22 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“On-again, off-again.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/on-again%2C%20off-again. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.
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