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
Dosunmu is out with a right calf injury, an issue that has plagued him off and on for several weeks.
—
Jon Krawczynski, New York Times, 1 May 2026
The two friends have been going to the annual meeting off and on for roughly 15 years, leaving their husbands at home for a girls' trip to Omaha.
—Sarah Min,yun Li, CNBC, 1 May 2026
Multiple pieces of software and online tutorials exist for the captioning of YouTube videos in addition to instructions for turning the closed captioning feature in YouTube off and on.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Apr. 2026
Reba later got married but still kept in touch with Horner off and on.
—Amy McDaniel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for off and on
Jon Krawczynski, New York Times, 1 May 2026
The two friends have been going to the annual meeting off and on for roughly 15 years, leaving their husbands at home for a girls' trip to Omaha.
—Sarah Min,yun Li, CNBC, 1 May 2026
Multiple pieces of software and online tutorials exist for the captioning of YouTube videos in addition to instructions for turning the closed captioning feature in YouTube off and on.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Apr. 2026
Reba later got married but still kept in touch with Horner off and on.
—Amy McDaniel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for off and on
Recent Examples of Synonyms for off and on
Adverb
-
Venus, who has still been competing sporadically, turns 46 on Wednesday.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
16 June 2026
-
Venus, who has been competing sporadically, turns 46 on Wednesday.—
Andrew Dampf,
Chicago Tribune,
16 June 2026
Adverb
-
Zellweger gained nearly 20 pounds to play the character, who drinks often and exercises intermittently.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
13 June 2026
-
Analysts, including those at the ISP-M, say China has intermittently backed both Myanmar's ruling military, and the rebels that military is battling in the country's civil war, depending on its varying economic and security interests.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
12 June 2026
Adverb
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Military training crashes have occurred periodically in Pakistan, though details are often not immediately made public and investigation findings are rarely released.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 June 2026
-
Outdoor-grade string lights that are installed in threaded hooks will require little to no attention from you, while rechargeable lamps will need to be brought inside periodically and plugged in.—
Jenny Hughes,
The Spruce,
15 June 2026
Adverb
-
Game Changer rarely has that problem.—
Tasha Robinson,
Vulture,
16 June 2026
-
Mayor Vi Lyles, who plans to resign as soon as an appointment is made, rarely intervenes when discussion goes awry and often loses track of motions.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
15 June 2026
Adverb
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The multistory set is grander and taller than TheaterWorks Hartford’s small stage could accommodate, while Ruggiero sends the cast offstage and deep into the auditorium — something Hartford Stage has certainly done but seldom to this immersive effect.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
16 June 2026
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Lurie and Roseman are strong figures with impressive track records who seldom receive blame when things go awry.—
Michael Silver,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Off and on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/off%20and%20on. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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