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
Timothy Latterner, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Feb. 2026
Below is a complete break-down of Kennedy and Hannah's on-and-off relationship that captivated the public for over five years.
—Janelle Ash, FOXNews.com, 22 Feb. 2026
California has endured an on-and-off drought for decades.
—Annette McGivney, Outside, 19 Feb. 2026
Jacob Elordi and Olivia Jade have been in an on-and-off relationship since December 2021, after they were photographed on a date in Los Angeles.
—Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 17 Feb. 2026
The snow was expected to slow overnight, potentially helping rescue conditions, but on-and-off snow showers are expected through Wednesday as authorities brace for another coming storm Thursday that is expected to bring snow to the region.
—Martin Goillandeau, CNN Money, 17 Feb. 2026
Based on Carola Lovering’s 2018 novel, Tell Me Lies follows a group of college friends and centers on the toxic on-and-off relationship between sophomore Lucy Albright (Grace Van Patten) and senior Stephen DeMarco (Jackson White).
—Grace McCarty, Glamour, 17 Feb. 2026
Hamilton, a seven-time Formula One World Drivers' Championship titleholder and driver for Ferrari, was reportedly in an on-and-off-again relationship with Pussycat Dolls star Nicole Scherzinger from 2007 to 2015, but has otherwise not been heavily linked with anyone else publicly.
—Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 9 Feb. 2026
Anne Lindholm, the future Anna Haycraft, was studying at the Liverpool School of Art, where Bainbridge’s on-and-off boyfriend, a painter named Austin Davies, studied and later taught (counting John Lennon among his students).
—Christopher Tayler, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
The rain is on-and-off almost constantly this far north, but luckily, Scotland looks good in grey.
—Timothy Latterner, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Feb. 2026
Below is a complete break-down of Kennedy and Hannah's on-and-off relationship that captivated the public for over five years.
—Janelle Ash, FOXNews.com, 22 Feb. 2026
California has endured an on-and-off drought for decades.
—Annette McGivney, Outside, 19 Feb. 2026
Jacob Elordi and Olivia Jade have been in an on-and-off relationship since December 2021, after they were photographed on a date in Los Angeles.
—Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 17 Feb. 2026
The snow was expected to slow overnight, potentially helping rescue conditions, but on-and-off snow showers are expected through Wednesday as authorities brace for another coming storm Thursday that is expected to bring snow to the region.
—Martin Goillandeau, CNN Money, 17 Feb. 2026
Based on Carola Lovering’s 2018 novel, Tell Me Lies follows a group of college friends and centers on the toxic on-and-off relationship between sophomore Lucy Albright (Grace Van Patten) and senior Stephen DeMarco (Jackson White).
—Grace McCarty, Glamour, 17 Feb. 2026
Hamilton, a seven-time Formula One World Drivers' Championship titleholder and driver for Ferrari, was reportedly in an on-and-off-again relationship with Pussycat Dolls star Nicole Scherzinger from 2007 to 2015, but has otherwise not been heavily linked with anyone else publicly.
—Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 9 Feb. 2026
Anne Lindholm, the future Anna Haycraft, was studying at the Liverpool School of Art, where Bainbridge’s on-and-off boyfriend, a painter named Austin Davies, studied and later taught (counting John Lennon among his students).
—Christopher Tayler, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for on and off
Adverb
-
The rain will become more scattered in the evening and will continue off and on overnight.—
Kenton Gewecke,
ABC News,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Lindor felt soreness in that area off and on in the past, but the pain earlier this week prompted a visit with a specialist, who recommended surgery.—
Will Sammon,
New York Times,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The recurrent hope—in Texas and elsewhere—is that Republican extremism will finally alienate enough moderates to flip a seat.—
Tad Friend,
New Yorker,
23 Feb. 2026
-
Then came recurrent ankle injuries that required him to compete with painkillers to get back into form for these Games.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
18 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
While glossy versions of the model have been released sporadically throughout the years, the brand has recently put more of an emphasis on the patent leather finish including a pink colorway previewed by designer Frank Cooke.—
Riley Jones,
Footwear News,
24 Feb. 2026
-
That’s the exciting brand of soccer Wells has promised from the day he was hired — and the kind of sequence that played out sporadically at best over the past two seasons.—
Braidon Nourse,
Denver Post,
21 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
This will be a semi-recurring role that films in January and February.—
Brayden Garcia,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 Dec. 2025
Adverb
-
The bridge, which connects the state's Upper and Lower Peninsulas, has been closed intermittently throughout the week due to falling ice and weather conditions.—
Tanya Wildt,
Freep.com,
21 Feb. 2026
-
The union staff organized last spring and have been negotiating their first contract with management intermittently since September.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Hundreds of political prisoners are still locked up, according to human rights groups, and many of those released so far have faced restrictions and conditions such as travel bans, periodic court appearances and gag orders.—
Alessandra Freitas,
CNN Money,
20 Feb. 2026
-
The attacks have focused on energy targets throughout the war's fourth winter, plunging millions of Ukrainians into periodic darkness amid bitterly cold weather.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
18 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
Swap arms periodically to distribute the weight across the body’s muscles.—
Joe Dwinell,
Boston Herald,
23 Feb. 2026
-
Mohammed’s view The intensity of the reaction reflects a longstanding fear among Arabs of an expansionist Israel, a concern periodically reinforced by some Israeli officials and US evangelical Christians such as Huckabee.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
23 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Unlike intermittent renewables, nuclear energy provides a reliable, carbon-free baseload power, an attractive option to meet AI’s high energy demands.—
Catherina Gioino,
Fortune,
20 Feb. 2026
-
From TikTok and Instagram influencers to celebrities like Hugh Jackman and Kourtney Kardashian, intermittent fasting has gotten a lot of hype.—
Regina G. Barber,
NPR,
20 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“On and off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/on%20and%20off. Accessed 27 Feb. 2026.
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