: 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Then reports surfaced that Paul was embroiled in a police investigation over incidents in February involving her on-again, off-again partner Dakota Mortensen. Joshua Rothkopf, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2026 The roughly 30-minute Zoom meeting came March 7, following an incident involving Paul and her on-again, off-again partner, Dakota Mortensen. Rebecca Keegan, NBC news, 20 Mar. 2026 Bravo currently stars in Netflix’s Emily in Paris as Gabriel, a talented chef in a complicated on-again, off-again romance with Lily Collins’s Emily. Adrienne Westenfeld, Outside, 18 Mar. 2026 Over the next five years, Peters had two more children while battling on-again, off-again symptoms. Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 14 Mar. 2026 Payton’s talked about finding more touches for Mims, but part of the challenge in an extension is the sides agreeing on appropriate value given Mims’ on-again, off-again usage so far and his terrific return ability. Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 5 Mar. 2026 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

Word History

First Known Use

1946, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of on-again, off-again was in 1946

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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 28 Mar. 2026.

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