as in on and off
not constantly or steadily over a period of time
They've been dating off and on for almost a year.
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Recent Examples of off and on
Wittels, who has been with the gallery off and on since its 1989 launch, and Johnson Montenegro, who joined in 2012, will be promoted to gallery principals.
—
News Desk, Artforum, 15 Jan. 2026
Following her headlining tour for that album, she’s toured off and on with Taylor Swift as Swift’s opening act on select dates of her blockbuster Eras Tour.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 14 Jan. 2026
Cones remained around the hole, off and on, through 2017.
—Charles Bethea, New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2026
Although copper has been mined in the area surrounding Oak Flat off and on since the 1870s, the current struggle over the fate of the campground — deemed sacred by Apaches and other Native peoples and ecologically sensitive by environmentalists — has a history of at least 30 years.
—Debra Utacia Krol, AZCentral.com, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for off and on
News Desk, Artforum, 15 Jan. 2026
Following her headlining tour for that album, she’s toured off and on with Taylor Swift as Swift’s opening act on select dates of her blockbuster Eras Tour.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 14 Jan. 2026
Cones remained around the hole, off and on, through 2017.
—Charles Bethea, New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2026
Although copper has been mined in the area surrounding Oak Flat off and on since the 1870s, the current struggle over the fate of the campground — deemed sacred by Apaches and other Native peoples and ecologically sensitive by environmentalists — has a history of at least 30 years.
—Debra Utacia Krol, AZCentral.com, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for off and on
Recent Examples of Synonyms for off and on
Adverb
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State programs aimed at helping communities pay for protections against predators such as installing improved fencing or training in nonlethal methods of controlling them have only been funded sporadically.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
28 Jan. 2026
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Although the sun is thought to have reached solar maximum — the peak of its 11-year activity cycle — in late 2024, the years immediately following often remain volatile, with strong Northern Lights expected sporadically throughout 2026.—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Adverb
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The instructional promise of each episode was a bit, a starting point for discursive, funny, intermittently personal mini-essays that always started in Wilson’s beloved New York, but could and did make their way anywhere.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
23 Jan. 2026
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As an adult, however, Feldman entered a decades-long stint in the tabloid wilderness, working as an actor only intermittently after struggles with addiction and the trauma of alleged abuse as a child in the film industry.—
Jim Hemphill,
IndieWire,
23 Jan. 2026
Adverb
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Another idea is that the rhythm causes brief fluctuations in alertness, allowing sleeping animals to periodically check their surroundings and reduce the risk of being eaten.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Jan. 2026
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Funds that hold the physical assets may also sell off some of their holdings periodically to cover expenses and redemptions.—
Darla Mercado, CFP®,
CNBC,
23 Jan. 2026
Adverb
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But the White House is also risking a wider fracture over an issue that rarely polarizes the GOP.—
David Sivak,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Jan. 2026
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Quarterly results rarely show depletion.—
Vibhas Ratanjee,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Adverb
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As Sam Stolton reports, the development could — if Google is eventually found to be non-compliant with the rules — pave the way for potential fines as high as 10% of global annual sales, though Brussels regulators seldom levies the maximum penalties.—
Suzanne Lynch,
Bloomberg,
27 Jan. 2026
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Feldman has seldom sounded so companionable.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
26 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Off and on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/off%20and%20on. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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