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
Bell passed his investment adviser exam in 2017 and worked as an adviser representative off and on until 2019, including as an independent contractor at the Boulder investment firm Black Swift Group.
—
Justin Wingerter, Denver Post, 16 Sep. 2025
The rest of the go-tos before Nick Pivetta joined the stable this year — Yu Darvish, Michael King and Joe Musgrove — have cycled off and on and sometimes back off the active roster so much that the workload of an up-and-down arm is second only to Cease’s over the last two years.
—Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Sep. 2025
But its replacement, which happened to be the only spare at the time, worked perfectly for six weeks and then off and on for several more years.
—IEEE Spectrum, 28 Aug. 2025
Ray has been with me for 12 years off and on.
—Demetrius Patterson, HollywoodReporter, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for off and on
Justin Wingerter, Denver Post, 16 Sep. 2025
The rest of the go-tos before Nick Pivetta joined the stable this year — Yu Darvish, Michael King and Joe Musgrove — have cycled off and on and sometimes back off the active roster so much that the workload of an up-and-down arm is second only to Cease’s over the last two years.
—Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Sep. 2025
But its replacement, which happened to be the only spare at the time, worked perfectly for six weeks and then off and on for several more years.
—IEEE Spectrum, 28 Aug. 2025
Ray has been with me for 12 years off and on.
—Demetrius Patterson, HollywoodReporter, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for off and on
Recent Examples of Synonyms for off and on
Adverb
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To be a successful independent filmmaker—that is, one who is even sporadically employed—is, in essence, to be a bit of a con man.—
Nick Pinkerton,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
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For protein products that do show an especially high heavy metal content, using them more sporadically, rather than daily, can reduce exposure.—
C. Michael White,
The Conversation,
14 Oct. 2025
Adverb
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Internet access, disrupted during the election, appeared to be returning intermittently on Thursday.—
Reuters 10 hr ago,
CNN Money,
30 Oct. 2025
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The royal pair seemed light and breezy, taking in their view from just behind the pitch-clock, standing to cheer intermittently and chatting briefly with their seatmates.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
29 Oct. 2025
Adverb
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Emergency doctors at UofL periodically conduct trainings on mass casualty scenarios.—
Caroline Neal,
Louisville Courier Journal,
5 Nov. 2025
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Screens displayed the election results, periodically refreshed as onlookers awaited the most recent vote tally.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
5 Nov. 2025
Adverb
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Money was rarely spent, and trades were hard to come by.—
James Boyd,
New York Times,
5 Nov. 2025
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The Danish drugmaker's unsolicited bid is rarely seen in the industry, and Pfizer certainly wasn't happy about it.—
Annika Kim Constantino,Bertha Coombs,
CNBC,
5 Nov. 2025
Adverb
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Spider mites can be an occasional problem in hot, dry weather, though damage seldom requires treatment.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
6 Nov. 2025
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From a practical perspective, these maple trees are compact (usually under 25 feet tall) and grow slowly, seldom overtaking a space.—
Luke Miller,
Better Homes & Gardens,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Off and on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/off%20and%20on. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
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