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

Styles and Swift dated on-and-off until 2013, when their breakup inspired several songs on Swift’s 1989. — Kathleen Perricone, Entertainment Weekly, 8 July 2026 An economist at advisory firm Oxford Economics said the ceasefire probably would continue to be on-and-off and Washington and Tehran could still deescalate the latest tensions instead of returning to war. — ABC News, 8 July 2026 Despite the on-and-off rain and the muggy weather, the mood in the city was jovial. — Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 4 July 2026 What’s more, the sneakers are machine washable for easy cleaning and have a pull tab for effortless on-and-off. — Destinee Scott, Travel + Leisure, 3 July 2026 Officials said Friday that a group of 50 volunteers had joined the effort to look for Kinney along the banks of the lake, adding that on-and-off rain hindered the search, according to WSAZ. — James Cirrone, FOXNews.com, 27 June 2026 An on-and-off again rivalry during the primary The two men shared a similar message during the primary, slamming Democrats for mismanaging the state and calling for tax cuts and regulatory rollbacks. — Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 26 June 2026 Rain jackets and ponchos were a common sight Tuesday, but the on-and-off showers did little to dampen the atmosphere at the FIFA Fan Festival on Boston's City Hall Plaza. — Aaron Parseghian, CBS News, 23 June 2026 The two had an on-and-off relationship and were making out at the end of season nine. — Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 15 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for on and off

Adverb

After all, this hip has bothered him off and on since the 2021 season.

— Dan Hayes, New York Times, 7 July 2026
Pharis continued to get minor rashes, off and on, for the next four years.

— Charles Trepany, USA Today, 2 July 2026

Definition of 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

Adjective

The Bell Street Bridge encampment was prioritized for closure as part of Downtown Rising – the first phase of Atlanta Rising, a multi-year campaign launched in 2025 to end unsheltered homelessness citywide and make homelessness rare, brief and non-recurring.

— Emily McLeod, CBS News, 7 Mar. 2026
This was and is a non-recurring, cyclical business totally dependent on transaction volumes, which fluctuate with economic cycles and interest rates.

— Josh Brown,Sean Russo, CNBC, 15 Jan. 2026

Definition of recurring

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

Adjective

In Florida, a person found not guilty by reason of insanity may be placed on conditional release, which requires a treatment plan and periodic monitoring.

— Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 15 July 2026
The whole periodic chart of elements and metals and all kinds of chemical concoctions found their way into the ground and the groundwater.

— Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2026

Definition of periodic

Adverb

As in France, trade unions exploded with rage, and sustained protests and strikes have taken place periodically for months.

— Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 11 July 2026
Violence flared and subsided periodically, and Lebanon and Israel reached ceasefire agreements in 1993, 1996 and after a 2006 war.

— Anthony Wanis-St John, The Conversation, 10 July 2026

Definition of periodically

Adjective

Solar energy is naturally intermittent, meaning production peaks in the middle of the day when electricity demand is often relatively low, only to drop off in the evening just as families return home and usage spikes.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 16 July 2026
At the time, logic dictated the culprit to be malaria because the couple had shown symptoms of the illness, including a telltale intermittent fever.

— Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 15 July 2026

Definition of intermittent

Browse Nearby Words

on all hands

on and off

on-and-off

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“On and off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/on%20and%20off. Accessed 17 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of on and off

adverb

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

obdurate

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 17

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Games & Quizzes