off and on

adverb

: 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.
Reinhart and Sprouse — who met while playing lovers on-screen on the CW series and dated off and on in real life for nearly three years — made their couple debut on the Gala's red carpet, confirming what fans suspected for some time. Tabitha Parent, People.com, 5 May 2025 That date was less than two months after Steve Joyner — the legendary Johnson C. Smith basketball coach who won 600 games and also served as AD off and on for years for the Golden Bulls — retired from the college. Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 5 Feb. 2025 Since then, it’s charted off and on, bouncing in and out of weekly rankings all around the world, depending on spikes in interest, competition and streaming activity. Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025 Has anyone tried to turn Elon off and on again? Guns! Pat Beall, Orlando Sentinel, 9 Mar. 2025 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

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Cite this Entry

“Off and on.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/off%20and%20on. Accessed 21 May. 2025.

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