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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Example Sentences
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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
-
Since then there have been sporadic signs of life regarding the venue, mostly to do with liquor licensing and permit requests, such as last October when a company called Dome Center LLC filed an application for a conditional-use permit.—
Mark Olsen,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Over the last week, government responses had been sporadic, but seemed to signal that the return was a matter of when — not if.—
Mathew Miranda,
Sacbee.com,
6 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Understood as intermittent organisms rather than monumental events, biennials can expand and contract.—
Manuela Moscoso,
Artforum,
2 Apr. 2026
-
His mission — to halt his body’s natural response to time and gravity — includes numerous hours in the gym, intermittent fasting, red light therapy and swallowing over 100 supplements each day.—
Leah Dolan,
CNN Money,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Building on the bones of Detroit techno and electro, his best records are hallucinogenic portals into worlds made out of 8-bit textures, rusty bleeps, and the occasional forlorn piano or sandpapery vocal sample.—
Andrew Ryce,
Pitchfork,
9 Apr. 2026
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Ryobi is great for occasional-use, light-duty stuff that needs to work but doesn’t have to withstand eight-hour daily punishment on a job site.—
Andrew P. Collins,
The Drive,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Earthquakes' sudden, rapid shaking can cause fires, tsunamis, landslides or avalanches.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Brave Mars is encouraging your intuitive sign, while its sextile to sudden Uranus in your 3rd House of Communication favors outreach.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Authentic sourdough has a tangy flavor from natural fermentation, along with a chewy texture and an open crumb with irregular air pockets, Gavin says.—
Olivia McIntosh,
Martha Stewart,
4 Apr. 2026
-
This is small, beaver-dam-laden water with a sandy composition, and a few years ago, Kozminski caught a glimpse of something irregular sticking out of the sand.—
Joe Cermele,
Outdoor Life,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Discontinuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discontinuous. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.
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