1
as in sporadic
lacking in steadiness or regularity of occurrence
the weekend forecast is for occasional showers
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in odd
not often occurring or repeated
an occasional mechanical problem with our car, but nothing serious
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of occasional
Cold, calculating, honey-tongued and libido-free, with only the occasional lie or hallucination.
—
Ian Chaffee, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2025
That means eating all types of foods and not demonstrating guilt when consuming an occasional fatty or sugary snack.
—Adrienne Farr, Parents, 5 Sep. 2025
For those unfamiliar with the sport, rest easy — there are only occasional references to the business of soccer (for instance, former Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson) — but Saipan is not a sports film in the usual sense, although it could be described as a battle of wills.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 5 Sep. 2025
Shift Your Mindset is an occasional series from CNN’s Mindfulness, But Better team.
—Jessica Dulong, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for occasional
Ian Chaffee, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2025
That means eating all types of foods and not demonstrating guilt when consuming an occasional fatty or sugary snack.
—Adrienne Farr, Parents, 5 Sep. 2025
For those unfamiliar with the sport, rest easy — there are only occasional references to the business of soccer (for instance, former Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson) — but Saipan is not a sports film in the usual sense, although it could be described as a battle of wills.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 5 Sep. 2025
Shift Your Mindset is an occasional series from CNN’s Mindfulness, But Better team.
—Jessica Dulong, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for occasional
Recent Examples of Synonyms for occasional
Adjective
-
Kiir and Machar had served in a unity government as part of a peace deal that ended the civil war, but their partnership remained tenuous and sporadic violence has continued between the two sides.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
12 Sep. 2025
-
If done right, rather than being a sporadic on-again, off-again (and, perhaps, threatening) part of workplace life, change will be embraced as a foundational attribute of your organization’s entrepreneurial culture.—
Julia Dhar,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
So, Hilleary will be in the odd position of facing a significant pay cut for getting a big promotion on Capitol Hill.—
David Mark,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
-
The iPhone Air Only Supports USB 2 Speeds The iPhone Air is relatively full-featured for such a thin phone, but Apple did make some odd compromises.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Meanwhile, subsidies continue to favor intermittent renewables over firm capacity.—
Robert Rapier,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
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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
-
About 18 vehicles, including a number of rare barn find cars, were auctioned from the collection.—
Eric D. Lawrence,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
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That kind of attention feels rare now.—
Daniel Scheffler,
Forbes.com,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Earthquakes' sudden, rapid shaking can cause fires, tsunamis, landslides or avalanches.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
7 Sep. 2025
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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
Adjective
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This allows bitBiome researchers to identify novel genes to insert into a standard laboratory protein-production organism and generate samples of potentially interesting new versions of the enzymes or proteins encoded by the isolated gene sequences.—
Steven Savage,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
-
The film, which premiered at Toronto International Film Festival, opens with a truck speeding off after having deposited the body of a teenage girl dressed in a school uniform on an isolated desert peak.—
Beandrea July,
IndieWire,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Because our mulch is rubber, this seemed unusual, and out of caution, the guardian was called immediately.—
Latoya Gayle,
PEOPLE,
8 Sep. 2025
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Routh, who is representing himself, has filed unusual motions requesting strippers and a golf round with the president.—
Kinsey Crowley,
USA Today,
7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Despite how infrequent attacks are, black bears are abundant in the state, with more than 5,000 throughout Arkansas.—
Mike Stunson,
Kansas City Star,
9 Sep. 2025
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With infrequent use, cleaning once a month should be sufficient most of the time.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
9 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Occasional.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/occasional. Accessed 13 Sep. 2025.
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