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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of on and off
Michael Saponara, Billboard, 1 Oct. 2025
The couple’s relationship has been documented on the final season of Bling Empire, and the pair have been honest about their on-and-off again relationship.
—Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 24 Sep. 2025
The on-and-off couple welcomed their first child, Saga Blade Fox-Baker, in March.
—Kimi Robinson, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2025
Tran dated Chris Brown in an on-and-off relationship from 2011 to 2015, and was previously linked to Rob Kardashian.
—Angel Saunders, People.com, 29 Aug. 2025
The experience reminded me of a part from Happy Together, a Wong Kar-wai movie about a deeply fraught, on-and-off romantic relationship between two men.
—Tao Lin, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
That lane was impacted not just by the on-and-off tariffs starting in April, but also the closure of the de minimis trade exemption for Chinese goods on May 2.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 14 Aug. 2025
Rocky’s creative ambitions left a lasting impression on his younger castmate Elijah Wright, son of Jeffrey Wright, both on-and-off the call sheet.
—Antonio Ferme, Variety, 13 Aug. 2025
In the Arrowverse, Haynes plays Roy Harper (Arsenal), a vigilante who is inspired by Oliver Queen and is involved in an on-and-off relationship with Thea Queen.
—Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 12 Aug. 2025
Adjective
After about four years of on-and-off dating, Young Thug and Mariah the Scientist have split.
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 1 Oct. 2025
The couple’s relationship has been documented on the final season of Bling Empire, and the pair have been honest about their on-and-off again relationship.
—Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 24 Sep. 2025
The on-and-off couple welcomed their first child, Saga Blade Fox-Baker, in March.
—Kimi Robinson, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2025
Tran dated Chris Brown in an on-and-off relationship from 2011 to 2015, and was previously linked to Rob Kardashian.
—Angel Saunders, People.com, 29 Aug. 2025
The experience reminded me of a part from Happy Together, a Wong Kar-wai movie about a deeply fraught, on-and-off romantic relationship between two men.
—Tao Lin, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
That lane was impacted not just by the on-and-off tariffs starting in April, but also the closure of the de minimis trade exemption for Chinese goods on May 2.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 14 Aug. 2025
Rocky’s creative ambitions left a lasting impression on his younger castmate Elijah Wright, son of Jeffrey Wright, both on-and-off the call sheet.
—Antonio Ferme, Variety, 13 Aug. 2025
In the Arrowverse, Haynes plays Roy Harper (Arsenal), a vigilante who is inspired by Oliver Queen and is involved in an on-and-off relationship with Thea Queen.
—Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 12 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for on and off
Adverb
-
That show ran for six seasons off and on between 2010 and 2017.—
Carson Blackwelder,
PEOPLE,
23 Sep. 2025
-
The novel ended up taking me 10 years off and on, doing projects in between.—
Mary Ann Grossmann,
Twin Cities,
21 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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One reason for this recurrent rhetoric is that few Americans today see themselves as opposed to the maximization of either alternatives from which to make selections or occasions to do so.—
Sophia Rosenfeld
September 26,
Literary Hub,
26 Sep. 2025
-
Alas, the one thing Europe is still lacking in comparison to its North American counterpart is scale, with European projects not yet landing major franchises, globally relevant IP and recurrent mega-budget productions.—
Rafa Sales Ross,
Variety,
26 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
Tech companies sporadically work with local police to track and deplatform harmful accounts, law enforcement sources say.—
Avery Schmitz,
CNN Money,
29 Sep. 2025
-
The Ravens have won six the last eight straight up and are 5-3 against the number in a series that is played sporadically.—
Jack Magruder,
Forbes.com,
20 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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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
-
Gorman served as the Black Crowes' drummer intermittently from their founding in 1989 until 2015.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
24 Sep. 2025
-
In it, the scientists postulated an increased risk of death in people who fasted intermittently.—
Frederik Jötten,
Scientific American,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Nonetheless, Wesley didn’t help himself with his offensive exploits (or lack thereof) in his periodic opportunities.—
John Hollinger,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
-
According to a report from Universe Today, this represents the first-ever direct detection of a periodic signal created by a millisecond magnetar within a gamma ray burst.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
1 Oct. 2025
Adverb
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But one witness who testified on behalf of Rocha’s defense, Emily Ridout, who lived in the home where his mother was staying, said Rocha and his mother lived in the same room for six months as Rocha worked at the burger joint Five Guys, periodically bringing food home.—
PJ Green
September 30,
Kansas City Star,
30 Sep. 2025
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Neighbors have repeatedly complained about the tear gas periodically being deployed against protesters.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Battery energy storage systems that suck up cheap power during periods of low demand, then discharge it at a profit during periods of high demand, are considered critical with the rise of intermittent energy sources such as wind and solar.—
Jessica Coacci,
Fortune,
4 Oct. 2025
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The former dancer found success in intermittent fasting, eating clean foods, going for long walks daily and taking workout classes with the Fitbit app.—
Skyler Caruso,
PEOPLE,
2 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“On and off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/on%20and%20off. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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