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
That show ran for six seasons off and on between 2010 and 2017.
—
Carson Blackwelder, PEOPLE, 23 Sep. 2025
The novel ended up taking me 10 years off and on, doing projects in between.
—Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 21 Sep. 2025
That same advisory also famously warns users to switch their phones off and on again each week to help protect against phishing attacks and zero-day exploits.
—Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for off and on
Carson Blackwelder, PEOPLE, 23 Sep. 2025
The novel ended up taking me 10 years off and on, doing projects in between.
—Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 21 Sep. 2025
That same advisory also famously warns users to switch their phones off and on again each week to help protect against phishing attacks and zero-day exploits.
—Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for off and on
Recent Examples of Synonyms for off and on
Adverb
-
Embiid, too, has been sporadically resting his left knee.—
Alex Kirschenbaum,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Occasional light rain fell sporadically.—
Rick Hurd,
Mercury News,
6 Nov. 2025
Adverb
-
Zverev has intermittently heeded the advice, but his last match before the start of the Tour Finals ended in a 6-0, 6-1 shellacking by Sinner, aggravated by swelling in his right ankle.—
Charlie Eccleshare,
New York Times,
10 Nov. 2025
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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
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
-
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
-
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 15 Nov. 2025.
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