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
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Recent Examples of discontinuous
When reinforced with discontinuous fibers, vitrimers, a class of plastic, can be reshaped repeatedly, crushed, and molded into new forms many times without their chemical structure degrading.
—
Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 12 Aug. 2025
Increased spotting potential east of the PCT exists, however, these spots have low potential for spread due to sparse, discontinuous vegetation or they can be accessed and suppressed by firefighting resources.
—Ca Wildfire Bot, Sacbee.com, 12 July 2025
Spread in thin, discontinuous bands across a few miles of terrain, the ancient material is a challenge to identify and even harder to access.
—Ella Jeffries, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 May 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for discontinuous
Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 12 Aug. 2025
Increased spotting potential east of the PCT exists, however, these spots have low potential for spread due to sparse, discontinuous vegetation or they can be accessed and suppressed by firefighting resources.
—Ca Wildfire Bot, Sacbee.com, 12 July 2025
Spread in thin, discontinuous bands across a few miles of terrain, the ancient material is a challenge to identify and even harder to access.
—Ella Jeffries, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 May 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for discontinuous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for discontinuous
Adjective
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Roberts said Kim would benefit from getting more consistent playing time in Triple-A rather than getting sporadic playing time in the major leagues.—
Michael Huntley,
Oc Register,
23 Mar. 2026
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Borek credited Muszelik with perhaps an even tougher challenge of having to stave off sporadic waves, versus the consistent pressure Lundgren faced.—
Tom Mulherin,
Boston Herald,
22 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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While Coptic Christians have long faced discrimination and intermittent violence in Egypt, attacks during this period intensified in both scale and public visibility.—
Candace Lukasik,
The Conversation,
27 Mar. 2026
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Robert Kearns, a Michigan engineer, invented the intermittent windshield wiper in the 1960s.—
Ugo Troiano,
Oc Register,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Mostly playing garbage time minutes for the Lakers, or the occasional start when injuries depleted the game-day roster, Bronny James stepped into rotation minutes in Indiana.—
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
26 Mar. 2026
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Driving east on Route 80 toward the Meta site in Holly Ridge, an unincorporated rural community about 15 minutes east of Rayville—the landscape is defined by flat expanses of soybean and cotton fields, punctuated by grain silos, grazing cows, and the occasional tractor.—
Sharon Goldman,
Fortune,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Earthquakes' sudden, rapid shaking can cause fires, tsunamis, landslides or avalanches.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
26 Mar. 2026
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The sudden rise of Tyler Ballgame from the Eagle Rock scene is something Perry seems to feel some ambivalence about.—
Jonathan Bernstein,
Rolling Stone,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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According to Gill, the level of cocaine was not necessarily fatal but there was a significant increase in irregular heart rhythm.—
Kellie Love,
Hartford Courant,
26 Mar. 2026
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Catheterization is used to look for structural issues that could cause conditions like clogged arteries, irregular heartbeat and pulmonary hypertension.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Discontinuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discontinuous. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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