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
as in recurrent
occurring or appearing at intervals
an on-and-off friendship over the years
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of on and off
Pia Singh, CNBC, 7 Jan. 2026
In California, that’s been an on-and-off reality for state government workers for years.
—William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 7 Jan. 2026
Christensen plays Angie, Will's friend and on-and-off again girlfriend, but in real life, she has been married to cyclist Cole Maness since September 2015.
—Christopher Rudolph, PEOPLE, 6 Jan. 2026
Star also hinted at a resumption of the on-and-off romance between Emily and Gabriel (Lucas Bravo) in season six.
—Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 5 Jan. 2026
From long-time supporters like Jane Fonda and Charlize Theron to on-and-off visitors like Laura Harrier and Zendaya, there's plenty of bob inspiration for every hair type and face shape.
—Omenaa Boakye, InStyle, 31 Dec. 2025
While the courier’s share of parcels delivered nationwide dropped from 62 percent in 2019 to below 24 percent in 2024, the on-and-off labor disruptions since last year’s month-long holiday season strike further accelerated that shift.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 23 Dec. 2025
Those hosting duties have been inconsistent, as the Peach Drop was planned on-and-off in the years after the COVID-19 pandemic began.
—Irene Wright, USA Today, 16 Dec. 2025
Perry welcomed her daughter, Daisy Dove, in August 2020 with former fiancé Orlando Bloom; the couple, who dated on-and-off for nearly nine years, broke up this summer.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 12 Dec. 2025
Adjective
Shares of Serve Robotics are up 25% since the start of this year, but their history has been volatile, partly because of Nvidia’s on-and-off history with the company.
—Pia Singh, CNBC, 7 Jan. 2026
In California, that’s been an on-and-off reality for state government workers for years.
—William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 7 Jan. 2026
Christensen plays Angie, Will's friend and on-and-off again girlfriend, but in real life, she has been married to cyclist Cole Maness since September 2015.
—Christopher Rudolph, PEOPLE, 6 Jan. 2026
Star also hinted at a resumption of the on-and-off romance between Emily and Gabriel (Lucas Bravo) in season six.
—Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 5 Jan. 2026
From long-time supporters like Jane Fonda and Charlize Theron to on-and-off visitors like Laura Harrier and Zendaya, there's plenty of bob inspiration for every hair type and face shape.
—Omenaa Boakye, InStyle, 31 Dec. 2025
While the courier’s share of parcels delivered nationwide dropped from 62 percent in 2019 to below 24 percent in 2024, the on-and-off labor disruptions since last year’s month-long holiday season strike further accelerated that shift.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 23 Dec. 2025
Those hosting duties have been inconsistent, as the Peach Drop was planned on-and-off in the years after the COVID-19 pandemic began.
—Irene Wright, USA Today, 16 Dec. 2025
Perry welcomed her daughter, Daisy Dove, in August 2020 with former fiancé Orlando Bloom; the couple, who dated on-and-off for nearly nine years, broke up this summer.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 12 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for on and off
Adverb
-
Although copper has been mined in the area surrounding Oak Flat off and on since the 1870s, the current struggle over the fate of the campground — deemed sacred by Apaches and other Native peoples and ecologically sensitive by environmentalists — has a history of at least 30 years.—
Debra Utacia Krol,
AZCentral.com,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Five northern counties remained under a flood watch, with up to three inches of rain possible through Monday night in areas that have been drenched off and on since around Christmas, said the National Weather Service office in Eureka.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
4 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Among the recurrent themes are suicide, mysteriously intractable sorrow, and failed attempts at familial and romantic connection.—
Margaret Talbot,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Surgical options, such as a hemorrhoidectomy, may also be necessary in especially serious or recurrent cases.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
21 Oct. 2025
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
Adjective
-
Audiences can also expect a new teacher, Luke Tennie’s Dominic, and potentially more recurring and guest characters.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
6 Sep. 2025
-
This should further increase the bank's base of more recurring revenue streams.—
Lisa Kailai Han,
CNBC,
27 Aug. 2025
Adverb
-
Our boss, who had been whisked off the House floor to a secure location, was only intermittently reachable.—
Zach Fisch,
The Atlantic,
6 Jan. 2026
-
For drivers, eastbound Lake Street between State and Wabash will be intermittently closed during non-peak hours.—
Sara Tenenbaum,
CBS News,
2 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The new series, however, jumps back 27 years from the 1989-set It movie to bring us to 1962, an earlier cycle of Pennywise’s periodic rampaging.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
27 Oct. 2025
-
Public markets offer transparency, governance, and liquidity; private firms, by contrast, often avoid periodic reporting and undergo less rigorous oversight.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
26 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
But unlike most commuters, Mamdani’s trip was documented by a photo and video crew, and periodically interrupted by neighbors wishing him luck.—
Jake Offenhartz,
Fortune,
3 Jan. 2026
-
Investors also periodically rotated out of tech and into value areas of the market due to worries of inflated valuations in the AI trade.—
Morgan Chittum,
CNBC,
3 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
These include electric vehicles with extended driving ranges, large-scale renewable energy storage systems that can balance intermittent solar and wind power, and lightweight, flexible power sources for portable and wearable electronics.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Countries also need to work on better connecting intermittent renewables — those which work only when the sun shines or the wind blows — with batteries that can store their energy.—
Ella Nilsen,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“On and off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/on%20and%20off. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
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