on and off 1 of 2

adverb

Definition of on and offnext
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

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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
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 Shot on-and-off by the filmmaker over the course of three years, the documentary is receiving its world premiere as the opening night film of the Oldenburg International Film Festival. — Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 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 But after eight years of on-and-off trade and technology wars with the United States, China’s economic fundamentals have remained stable. — Da Wei, Foreign Affairs, 7 Sep. 2026 Hayden Panettiere's estranged mother, Lesley Vogel, is disputing the account of her daughter's final hours given by Panettiere's on-and-off boyfriend Brian Hickerson. — Paris Close, USA Today, 24 Aug. 2026 Continue reading … FIRST WORDS — Hayden Panettiere's on-and-off boyfriend Brian Hickerson breaks his silence. — FOXNews.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for on and off
  1. off and on
  2. recurrent
  3. sporadically
  4. recurring
  5. intermittently
  6. periodic
  7. periodically
  8. intermittent
Adverb
  • Lightning coach Jon Cooper gave him the opportunity Thursday night by pulling Andrei Vasilevskiy off and on during the third period for an extra attacker.
    — Stephen Whyno, Chicago Tribune, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Rain showers will continue off and on Monday, with the rain beginning to taper Monday night.
    — Sarah Wroblewski, CBS News, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of off and on
Adjective
  • Security training Current TSA regulations require recurrent security training for flight crew and cabin crew members, which includes self-defense training and exercises on how to handle a hijacking.
    — Jeff Price, The Conversation, 30 Sep. 2026
  • The second, given by Stille, enlisted a recurrent theme in Eco’s fiction — how falsehood often trumps truth — to discuss the crisis of liberal democracy and its institutions.
    — Bartolomeo Sala, The Dial, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of recurrent
Adverb
  • Hogan added that the market could experience more trading days like this sporadically over the coming months if sentiment remains subdued amid tensions in the Middle East.
    — Sean Conlon, CNBC, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Bators died in 1990, but the group sporadically reunited and toured in the decades after.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 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
  • Parker’s hair was gathered into an enormous, layered, fishtail braid that starts high on the back of her head with a bow, its ends interlaced intermittently with the incredibly thick folds of the plaits.
    — Marci Robin, Allure, 2 Oct. 2026
  • But according to Erika, his heart continued to beat intermittently, creating a cruel window of hope.
    — Clara Molot, Vanity Fair, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of intermittently
Adjective
  • Trouble in the tropics El Niño is a periodic climate cycle that features hotter-than-normal sea surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific Ocean.
    — Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2026
  • There's no access to ice or cold water, and during periodic power outages, there's no electricity.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of periodic
Adverb
  • Tens of thousands of people periodically march in major cities demanding action from lawmakers and blaming real estate speculators as well as tourist apartment platforms like Airbnb for rising rents.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Organizations should periodically ask whether their indicators still reflect their mission or whether reporting requirements have slowly begun shaping program choices.
    — Ekramy El Zaghat, Forbes.com, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of periodically
Adjective
  • Those talks collapsed and the two sides have continued to trade intermittent attacks.
    — Dan Lamothe, Washington Post, 1 Oct. 2026
  • While Linton has not been diagnosed with an underlying seizure disorder, such as epilepsy, defense attorney Jovan Blacknell said Linton suffered intermittent seizures during her life, including at the time of the wreck.
    — James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of intermittent

Browse Nearby Words

on all hands
on and off
on-and-off
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“On and off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/on%20and%20off. Accessed 7 Oct. 2026.

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