now and then

adverb

: from time to time : occasionally
now and then we go off to the country

Examples of now and then in a Sentence

we do go to the library now and then, but not as often as we should
Recent Examples on the Web The concept is not widely discussed in baseball, because a 162-game season means a day off now and then is just good sense. Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2023 For much of the past century, flamingos turned up in Florida now and then, but in tiny numbers. Michael Adno, The New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2023 But a little humor now and then wouldn’t have hurt. George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2023 Finding love can be as easy as smiling at a handsome stranger in line for coffee, but every now and then, making a romantic connection requires more serious intervention. Jp Mangalindan, Peoplemag, 3 Oct. 2023 Grizzly/polar-bear hybrids pop up every now and then where the two bear species’ ranges overlap—and because of a warming Arctic, these ranges are overlapping more and more. Matthew Every, Field & Stream, 6 Sep. 2023 Just as many differences For Israelis, the most striking differences between now and then are the Oct. 7 terrorist attack’s unimaginable brutality and destruction. Boaz Dvir, The Conversation, 13 Oct. 2023 Every now and then, the Norwegian Nobel Committee gives its prize — the Nobel Peace Prize — to a political prisoner. Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 11 Oct. 2023 But safety was not the issue for me here — a little artificial sweetener now and then is probably fine, and not necessarily worse for you than regular sugar. Ellie Krieger, Washington Post, 14 Sep. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'now and then.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of now and then was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near now and then

Cite this Entry

“Now and then.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/now%20and%20then. Accessed 2 Dec. 2023.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!