sporadically

adverb

spo·​rad·​i·​cal·​ly spə-ˈra-di-k(ə-)lē How to pronounce sporadically (audio)
: in a sporadic manner : not regularly or constantly
gunfire being heard sporadically
software updates that appear sporadically
Originally from the western Pacific Ocean, the shrimp have been spotted sporadically in U.S. waters for the past two decades.Rick Jervis
Even when the sun is being well behaved, parcels of plasma shoot sporadically toward Earth's dark side, prompting a bright aurora and intensifying radiation belts.Tim Beardsley

Examples of sporadically in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Bass enacted the curfew last week after five days of chaotic and sporadically violent protests that came in response to President Trump’s immigration crackdown in Southern California. Noah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times, 16 June 2025 Thereafter more prominent on the police blotter and the court docket than the record charts, Stone sporadically re-emerged after the turn of the millennium for a bizarre public appearance or chaotic concert date. Chris Morris, Variety, 9 June 2025 More than a dozen eyewitnesses, including those wounded in the attack, said Israeli troops shot at crowds in volleys of gunfire that occurred sporadically through the early hours of Sunday morning. Jeremy Diamond, CNN Money, 4 June 2025 Confirmation of the whereabouts of deportees has been piecemeal, with advocacy groups, lawyers and news organizations sporadically releasing names and locations based on available information. Megan Ulu-Lani Boyanton, Denver Post, 15 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for sporadically

Word History

First Known Use

1681, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sporadically was in 1681

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Cite this Entry

“Sporadically.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sporadically. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.

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