OFF AND ON Synonyms: 41 Similar and Opposite Words

off and on

adverb

Definition of off and on

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 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 Injuries limited him to 36 games last season and various ailments have dogged him off and on the past few years. — Greg Cote may 25, Miami Herald, 25 May 2026 If your Fingerling is not responding, try turning your pet off and on. — Bestreviews, Mercury News, 15 May 2026 To toggle your new pet off and on, type /pet into the composer, then use Wake Pet or Tuck Away Pet in Settings > Appearance. — Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 3 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for off and on

Recent Examples of Synonyms for off and on

Adverb

Handley recommends adding a small amount to your compost pile sporadically, then adding this to your soil or as a mulch at the base of your plants.

— Rae Ford, Martha Stewart, 4 July 2026
My 21-year-old child responds only sporadically to texts and phone calls, often going days or weeks without a response.

— R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 28 June 2026

Definition of sporadically

Adverb

Oslo is intermittently concerned that the tiny Russian settlement of Barentsburg on Norway’s Svalbard archipelago might seek to become something bigger.

— Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
Roosevelt lived and ranched in North Dakota intermittently for about two years after the deaths of his wife and mother on the same day in 1884.

— Sarah D. Wire, USA Today, 1 July 2026

Definition of intermittently

Adverb

Unlike conventional porous carbons, which interact only weakly with polysulfides, COFs possess periodically arranged pores whose dimensions, chemical environments, and electronic characteristics can be programmed by design.

— Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 4 July 2026
That passion was evident throughout the evening as supporters periodically broke into song.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 3 July 2026

Definition of periodically

Adverb

Infections, other immune-system stressors and, more rarely, brain injuries may also contribute in genetically susceptible individuals.

— Daryl Austin, USA Today, 8 July 2026
Even so, there’s rarely a backup of more than one hole, which is a credit to the course design and its wide selection of distances off the tee.

— Barbara Ellis, Denver Post, 7 July 2026

Definition of rarely

Adverb

Haaland has been the World Cup’s biggest personality; a self-deprecating, smiling figurehead that has seldom looked happier than in a golden month with Norway.

— Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 10 July 2026
Founders seldom hire solely based on a pristine GPA or the prestige of your university alone.

— Vikram Joshi, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026

Definition of seldom

Browse Nearby Words

offal

off and on

off base

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Style

“Off and on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/off%20and%20on. Accessed 11 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of off and on

adverb

Example Sentences

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