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
The far-right politician is suddenly distancing himself from an American president who, off and on over the last year, has made aggressive plays to annex Greenland, targeting Danish borders that have existed for roughly 300 years.
—
Los Angeles Times, 23 Jan. 2026
Sporadic rain Friday will turn to freezing rain and ice around midnight that will continue off and on until Sunday morning.
—Brandon Miller, CNN Money, 23 Jan. 2026
The dispute over Greenland is ultimately a North American dispute, and its logic is rooted firmly in the Monroe Doctrine, which has been guiding American policy off and on since 1823.
—Barry Scott Zellen, Hartford Courant, 22 Jan. 2026
Ahead of the front, light showers are expected off and on through the afternoon, becoming more widespread and heavier Friday night.
—Mary Wasson, Austin American Statesman, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for off and on
Los Angeles Times, 23 Jan. 2026
Sporadic rain Friday will turn to freezing rain and ice around midnight that will continue off and on until Sunday morning.
—Brandon Miller, CNN Money, 23 Jan. 2026
The dispute over Greenland is ultimately a North American dispute, and its logic is rooted firmly in the Monroe Doctrine, which has been guiding American policy off and on since 1823.
—Barry Scott Zellen, Hartford Courant, 22 Jan. 2026
Ahead of the front, light showers are expected off and on through the afternoon, becoming more widespread and heavier Friday night.
—Mary Wasson, Austin American Statesman, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for off and on
Recent Examples of Synonyms for off and on
Adverb
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Since 2009 and more intensely since 2017, nationwide protests have sporadically challenged Islamic rule.—
Robin Wright,
New Yorker,
1 Mar. 2026
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Deadpan lines land sporadically at best, and the friction between Sidney and her daughter never sparks.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
26 Feb. 2026
Adverb
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The union staff organized last spring and have been negotiating their first contract with management intermittently since September.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
6 Mar. 2026
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He’s developed in that time into a key leader in the locker room and has served intermittently as a team captain.—
Adam Grosbard,
Oc Register,
6 Mar. 2026
Adverb
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This footage is overlaid with rapidly shifting colors via video synthesizer, obscuring our view, and an iris that periodically frames the runner.—
Daniel R. Quiles,
Artforum,
1 Mar. 2026
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Airlines have been periodically halting flights to the region for years as conflicts and associated security concerns arise.—
Dan Mangan,Leslie Josephs,Spencer Kimball,CJ Haddad,Justin Papp,Jordan Novet,
CNBC,
28 Feb. 2026
Adverb
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Hite rarely entertained the possibility that people might be answering her questionnaire on a particularly bad day, or that anonymity might encourage exaggeration.—
Margaret Talbot,
New Yorker,
2 Mar. 2026
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The irony is that this shift rarely feels like a loss of control.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
2 Mar. 2026
Adverb
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Rarely one to publicly comment on her personal life, Beyoncé has seldom if ever addressed the subject of her parents' divorce.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 Mar. 2026
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To his knowledge, Harward said, road rage incidents in Nampa are seldom severe.—
Rose Evans
Updated March 3,
Idaho Statesman,
3 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Off and on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/off%20and%20on. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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