off and on

adverb

Synonyms of off and onnext
: with periodic cessation : intermittently
rained off and on all day
off-and-on adjective
They have an off-and-on relationship.
off-and-on work

Examples of off and on 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.
Newsom spent more than a week in practice, reading his script off teleprompters, off and on, and devouring its content, the insider says. George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2026 Cones remained around the hole, off and on, through 2017. Charles Bethea, New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2026 Although copper has been mined in the area surrounding Oak Flat off and on since the 1870s, the current struggle over the fate of the campground — deemed sacred by Apaches and other Native peoples and ecologically sensitive by environmentalists — has a history of at least 30 years. Debra Utacia Krol, AZCentral.com, 6 Jan. 2026 Five northern counties remained under a flood watch, with up to three inches of rain possible through Monday night in areas that have been drenched off and on since around Christmas, said the National Weather Service office in Eureka. Dallas Morning News, 4 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for off and on

Word History

First Known Use

1535, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of off and on was in 1535

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Off and on.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/off%20and%20on. Accessed 14 Jan. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on off and on

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!