as in sporadic
lacking in steadiness or regularity of occurrence
the novel captures the discontinuous nature of a soldier's life: long stretches of boredom interrupted by flashes of action
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of discontinuous
The city of almost 52,000, carved into discontinuous clumps by unincorporated land, straddles the Denton-Collin county line.
▪ Anna, also in Collin, is a 30 minute drive east of Celina.
—
Jaime Moore-Carrillo, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 May 2025
Current law, however, is discontinuous.
—Felix Salmon, Axios, 28 Mar. 2025
The fossil record is discontinuous at the Atapuerca site and in Western Europe as a whole, indicating that there were likely long periods without human presence.
—Evan Bush, NBC News, 12 Mar. 2025
As the pressure to decarbonize electricity grids mounts, so does the need to have long-term storage options for power generated from renewables—especially for sources like wind and solar, which have discontinuous availability.
—IEEE Spectrum, 15 Apr. 2022
See All Example Sentences for discontinuous
Jaime Moore-Carrillo, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 May 2025
Current law, however, is discontinuous.
—Felix Salmon, Axios, 28 Mar. 2025
The fossil record is discontinuous at the Atapuerca site and in Western Europe as a whole, indicating that there were likely long periods without human presence.
—Evan Bush, NBC News, 12 Mar. 2025
As the pressure to decarbonize electricity grids mounts, so does the need to have long-term storage options for power generated from renewables—especially for sources like wind and solar, which have discontinuous availability.
—IEEE Spectrum, 15 Apr. 2022
See All Example Sentences for discontinuous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for discontinuous
Adjective
-
Silksong was first announced in 2019, and after sporadic details and development promises, the DLC turned full release was given a formal release date just two weeks ago — causing mayhem like the Eras Tour movie for other game releases.—
Alejandra Gularte,
Vulture,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Their appearance is sporadic and unpredictable.—
Katie Wiseman,
IndyStar,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Meanwhile, subsidies continue to favor intermittent renewables over firm capacity.—
Robert Rapier,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
-
Among the variations to consider are situations where one career takes the most time, or one is intermittent, or both are part-time or perhaps seasonal.—
Amy Lindgren,
Twin Cities,
6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The boats offer a low-effort way to spy on some of the coolest marine life in the region, including bat rays and even the occasional shark.—
Stacey Leasca,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Sep. 2025
-
By night, Criel entertains guests for intimate dinners — and the occasional artistic performance.—
Lily Templeton,
Footwear News,
6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Earthquakes' sudden, rapid shaking can cause fires, tsunamis, landslides or avalanches.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
7 Sep. 2025
-
The condition causes sudden weakness or paralysis in muscles on one side of the face and is, in most cases, temporary, according to the Mayo Clinic.—
Meredith Wilshere,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Discontinuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discontinuous. Accessed 13 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share