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.

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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
Continue reading … FIRST WORDS — Hayden Panettiere's on-and-off boyfriend Brian Hickerson breaks his silence. — FOXNews.com, 21 Aug. 2026 Her on-and-off boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, 37, and his brother Zach Hickerson, 38, were with her at the time of her death, authorities have said. — Elizabeth Rosner, PEOPLE, 21 Aug. 2026 Chase Stokes Chase Stokes is believed to be single after an on-and-off relationship with country music singer Kelsea Ballerini. — Giovana Gelhoren, InStyle, 21 Aug. 2026 Hayden Panettiere’s on-and-off boyfriend is being heard from for the first time since the 36-year-old star was found dead in a South Carolina residence Sunday afternoon. — Brian Niemietz, Chicago Tribune, 20 Aug. 2026 Brian Hickerson’s lawyer is speaking out following the untimely death of Hickerson’s on-and-off girlfriend, the actress Hayden Panettiere. — Marina Watts, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Aug. 2026 Hickerson, Panettiere's on-and-off boyfriend since 2018, has had a tumultuous relationship with the actress, including allegations of physical abuse that led to jail time for domestic violence. — Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 19 Aug. 2026 Hayden Panettiere's on-and-off boyfriend Brian Hickerson and his brother were at the scene of her death, according to a police report obtained Tuesday by CBS News. — Kerry Breen, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026 The 50-year-old Ukrainian pugilist was engaged to Panettiere in 2013 during an on-and-off relationship that lasted nearly a decade. — Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 18 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
  • Repeatedly taking your shoes off and on is time-consuming and exasperating.
    — R. Eric Thomas, Mercury News, 22 Aug. 2026
  • All in all, the second seizure lasted about 4 hours off and on.
    — Vanessa Romo, NPR, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of off and on
Adjective
  • His new marrow engrafted quickly, and aside from some recurrent adenovirus, his recovery went remarkably well.
    — Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Joan Baez, yet another famous fan, emerges as one of the diary’s recurrent characters, and a kind of guiding spirit for this metamorphosis.
    — Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of recurrent
Adverb
  • For months, the two countries have traded fire sporadically across their long, mountainous border, leaving hundreds of people dead.
    — ABDUL QAHAR AFGHAN, Fortune, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Naughty Bits ended in 2005 and Gregory’s work has appeared sporadically in other outlets.
    — Rob Salkowitz, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 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
  • Swallows—the country's most beloved and recognizable birds—darted past intermittently, a subtle but very real reminder of our location on this special stretch of the Algarve.
    — Megan Wilkes, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Khat is typically chewed like tobacco, with individuals retaining it in the cheek and chewing intermittently to release the active drug, which then produces stimulant-like effects.
    — Bryan Lynn, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of intermittently
Adjective
  • But amid a growing water crisis in the West, and periodic droughts in other parts of the country, constant water access is not a given.
    — Simmone Shah, Time, 26 Aug. 2026
  • And periodic ceasefires during the war sent global oil prices lower – only to rise again whenever those agreements have lapsed or run out.
    — Ramishah Maruf, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of periodic
Adverb
  • Down a third of its crew (and periodically appearing as a trio), the quartet-for-now seeks modern girl-group chart history while nagged by uncertainty and controversy that extends to their music.
    — Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Maintaining The System Maintaining a marketing system means periodically checking whether strategy, execution and measurement still support one another.
    — Don Dodds, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of periodically
Adjective
  • In Iraq, the United States inflicted a dozen years of punishing sanctions, intermittent bombing, and failed regime change and counterproliferation efforts, followed by the disastrous 2003 invasion and occupation, all at tremendous human cost.
    — MARC LYNCH, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Then came even more emotion, with intermittent pauses to cry.
    — Cam Inman, Mercury News, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of intermittent

Browse Nearby Words

on all hands
on and off
on-and-off
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Cite this Entry

“On and off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/on%20and%20off. Accessed 27 Aug. 2026.

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