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
Flores yelled off and on for about 20 seconds before making his way slowly to first base, accompanied by Padres catcher Elias Díaz and umpire Ryan Wills.
—
Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 June 2025
Combs’ long time, off and on relationship with model and actress Kim Porter resulted in the birth of son Christian in 1998.
—Lisa Respers France, CNN Money, 20 May 2025
Clair has tutored math and science off and on since high school and has taught GED-seeking students through Neighborhood House in the Wellstone Center in St. Paul.
—Ross Raihala, Twin Cities, 12 May 2025
The two Martens spent roughly four years behind bars, off and on, before they were released from custody in June 2024, per Raleigh’s The News & Observer.
—Melissa Locker, Time, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for off and on
Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 June 2025
Combs’ long time, off and on relationship with model and actress Kim Porter resulted in the birth of son Christian in 1998.
—Lisa Respers France, CNN Money, 20 May 2025
Clair has tutored math and science off and on since high school and has taught GED-seeking students through Neighborhood House in the Wellstone Center in St. Paul.
—Ross Raihala, Twin Cities, 12 May 2025
The two Martens spent roughly four years behind bars, off and on, before they were released from custody in June 2024, per Raleigh’s The News & Observer.
—Melissa Locker, Time, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for off and on
Recent Examples of Synonyms for off and on
Adverb
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While the mustachioed plumber and his brother became the face of the brand, Donkey Kong appears more sporadically — wavering occasionally between a hero and villain — and doesn’t even have a consistent lore.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
1 July 2025
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The sporadically game, often reluctant fourth-wheel participant in all of this was Jenny, my billing specialist.—
Gary Baum,
HollywoodReporter,
16 June 2025
Adverb
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The Met periodically hosts visitors from the Manhattan District Attorney’s office.—
Julian Lucas,
New Yorker,
30 June 2025
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Last year, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers placed about 140,000 cubic yards of sand on the beach near the San Clemente Pier in the first phase of a federal project expected to continue periodically for 50 years.—
Phil Diehl,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 June 2025
Adverb
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Party chair elections are rarely on the radars of high-level party leaders like governors and senators, Jones said, which can end up having unexpected outcomes.—
Cody Copeland,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
1 July 2025
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Pauline’s diminutive redesign has raised plenty of questions, although Nintendo rarely seems interested in providing any answers from DK lore.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
1 July 2025
Adverb
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The man was gifted, gracious, often generous and seldom mean-spirited.—
Bruce Fein,
Baltimore Sun,
10 July 2025
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Very seldom do any two companies share a vision and culture.—
Ashutosh Labroo,
Forbes.com,
10 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Off and on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/off%20and%20on. Accessed 13 Jul. 2025.
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