ON AND OFF Synonyms: 72 Similar and Opposite Words

on and off 1 of 2

adverb

Definition of on and off

as in off and on

not constantly or steadily over a period of time It's been raining on and off all afternoon.

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

on-and-off

2 of 2

adjective

as in recurrent

occurring or appearing at intervals an on-and-off friendship over the years

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 on and off

Adjective

Not heralded as returning are Adam Driver (who played Hannah’s on-and-off actor boyfriend Adam) and former co-showrunner Jenni Konner (with whom Dunham had a creative breakup after the show ended). — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 13 Oct. 2026 Not mentioned in the returning cast is Adam Driver, who played Hannah’s (Dunham) on-and-off boyfriend in the series. — Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 13 Oct. 2026 Adam Driver, who starred as Hannah’s on-and-off love interest Adam, and co-showrunner and executive producer Jenni Konner. — Selome Hailu, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026 James Hager arrived at Lopez’s Palm Drive home in Key Largo to stop him from beating his on-and-off-again girlfriend, according to Lopez’s arrest report. — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 12 Oct. 2026 Prior to her connection with Pillsbury, Johnson was in an on-and-off relationship with Martin, Coldplay’s frontman. — Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2026 Hayden Panettiere’s on-and-off boyfriend Brian Hickerson is speaking out amid the ongoing investigation into the late Nashville actress’s tragic death at 36. — Lara Walsh, InStyle, 17 Sep. 2026 Detailed in the script, Carrie crushes the spewing water pipes with her mind, but the folks manning the on-and-off switches aren’t yet in sync. — Entertainment Weekly, 15 Sep. 2026 Justin and Hailey officially wed in September 2018 at a New York City courthouse after years of on-and-off dating. — Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 13 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for on and off

Adverb

The band continued off and on over the following years, with Sara Surkamp joining on acoustic guitar and vocals in 2006.

— Jem Aswad, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
One man records himself using the claws to screw bottle lids off and on.

— Diaa Hadid, NPR, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of off and on

Adjective

But the 2026 study found that only 15% of women diagnosed with recurrent UTIs showed evidence of problems limited to the bladder or urinary tract.

— Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 19 Oct. 2026
What’s happening A 2026 study published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine reviewed the medical records of 253 women diagnosed with recurrent UTIs.

— Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of recurrent

Adverb

Officers used tear gas as tensions flared sporadically in the neighborhood, with small groups of people trying to set bicycles and trash bins on fire.

— SYLVIE CORBET, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026
Tyson Familiar and visually uninspired, yet still sporadically captivating.

— Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of sporadically

Adjective

How Recurring Revenue Is The Pump There’s only one kind of funding that reliably shows up in year seven—recurring, unrestricted revenue.

— Sarah Evans, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
Excluding non-recurring events, the magnitude of the average S & P 500 earnings surprise for the quarter is still about 11%.

— Sarah Min, CNBC, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of recurring

Adverb

In 2024, Tony Hout joined the vaccine trial at MD Anderson after seeking care for a spot on his ear that had been bleeding intermittently and wouldn’t fully heal.

— ABC News, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026
The administration has also intermittently pressured Ukraine to cave in its war of survival against Russian aggression.

— Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Foreign Affairs, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of intermittently

Adjective

The Finnish firm Posiva will also need to submit periodic safety assessments every decade.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 23 Oct. 2026
That restraint, even if disrupted by periodic rounds of fighting with Hamas, endeared Netanyahu to mainstream Israelis, who could pretend that the conflict was a thing of the past and all but forget about the Palestinians.

— Aluf Benn, Foreign Affairs, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of periodic

Adverb

Stokes recommends that users turn off the option that lets Meta train its AI on conversations, and periodically review what the assistant has saved about them.

— Andrew R. Chow, Time, 22 Oct. 2026
In the more than 80 years since the war ended, such remains have periodically been rediscovered and returned to Japan.

— Joseph States, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of periodically

Adjective

People went through the admission and security checkpoints without issues, and the event’s early evening acts enjoyed mostly dry stages with light, intermittent rain.

— Isabel Rivera, Miami Herald, 18 Oct. 2026
Ohtani has been playing with a bad knee and biceps for three months, and the Dodgers already have tried intermittent rest.

— Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of intermittent

Browse Nearby Words

on all hands

on and off

on-and-off

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Cite this Entry

Style

“On and off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/on%20and%20off. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of on and off

adverb

adjective

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