off and on

adverb

Definition of off and onnext
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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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 off and on Northern Minnesota will see thunderstorms off and on throughout the day. — Mike Augustyniak, CBS News, 26 June 2026 Amazon’s streaming service, Prime Video, is the most chaotic major company out there, seemingly random in its assembly of new and classic titles that shuffle off and on the platform every month. — Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 19 June 2026 The geese had been there off and on for days. — Ian Frazier, New Yorker, 15 June 2026 Between and among cover projects such as Holy Ghost Building and Gimme a Kickstart, Michael Roe, Mark Harmon, and Bruce Spencer worked on it off and on for 13 years. — Spin Staff, SPIN, 1 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for off and on
Recent Examples of Synonyms for off and on
  1. sporadically
  2. intermittently
  3. periodically
  4. rarely
  5. seldom
Adverb
  • In addition to sporadically continuing her acting career in titles like The Last Song, LOL and Black Mirror, Cyrus has mostly pivoted to music.
    — Giovana Gelhoren, InStyle, 15 Aug. 2026
  • But Rydell preferred to direct, if somewhat sporadically, and to produce, forming a partnership with Sydney Pollock in the mid-1980s, Sanford Prods.
    — Carmel Dagan, Variety, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of sporadically
Adverb
  • Swallows—the country's most beloved and recognizable birds—darted past intermittently, a subtle but very real reminder of our location on this special stretch of the Algarve.
    — Megan Wilkes, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Khat is typically chewed like tobacco, with individuals retaining it in the cheek and chewing intermittently to release the active drug, which then produces stimulant-like effects.
    — Bryan Lynn, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of intermittently
Adverb
  • Down a third of its crew (and periodically appearing as a trio), the quartet-for-now seeks modern girl-group chart history while nagged by uncertainty and controversy that extends to their music.
    — Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Maintaining The System Maintaining a marketing system means periodically checking whether strategy, execution and measurement still support one another.
    — Don Dodds, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of periodically
Adverb
  • After four seasons of fits and starts with the offense built around tight ends or the running game but rarely the receiver room, maybe the Irish are in position for something more.
    — Pete Sampson, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
  • They were being imposed under Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930, a Great Depression-era law that has rarely, if ever, been invoked and has been neglected for decades.
    — Lim Hui Jie,Kevin Breuninger,Ashlee Trujillo, CNBC, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of rarely
Adverb
  • Kontras believes the case of the patterning was simply because the buck had seldom, if ever, been spooked by a man.
    — Jeff Murray, Outdoor Life, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Hathaway is no stranger to action movies, but seldom have her contributions to the form been so dirt-under-the-fingernails feral.
    — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of seldom

Browse Nearby Words

offal
off and on
off base
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Off and on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/off%20and%20on. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of off and on for Spanish Speakers

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