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
Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 6 Mar. 2026
Keep the umbrella close since more widespread, on-and-off showers are expected through the afternoon.
—Kate Bilo, CBS News, 4 Mar. 2026
One, of course, is Trump’s on-and-off tariffs, which have left investors with little ability to assess international trade flows.
—Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2026
But behind the hot-and-cold production is an on-and-off process.
—Fred Katz, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2026
The two were on-and-off for five years before the George Magazine mogul inevitably moved on to Carolyn Bessette.
—Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 23 Feb. 2026
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
Adjective
Nine Months of ‘Baby’ and ‘Rob’ Kardashian and Tristan Thompson, who were together on-and-off between 2016 and 2021, welcomed their two kids — True, 7, and Tatum, 3 — in 2018 and 2022, respectively, according to People.
—Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 6 Mar. 2026
Keep the umbrella close since more widespread, on-and-off showers are expected through the afternoon.
—Kate Bilo, CBS News, 4 Mar. 2026
One, of course, is Trump’s on-and-off tariffs, which have left investors with little ability to assess international trade flows.
—Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2026
But behind the hot-and-cold production is an on-and-off process.
—Fred Katz, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2026
The two were on-and-off for five years before the George Magazine mogul inevitably moved on to Carolyn Bessette.
—Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 23 Feb. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for on and off
Adverb
-
Jackson had been homeless off and on for only about a year before being slain, his family says.—
Emma Seiwell,
New York Daily News,
25 Feb. 2026
-
The rain will become more scattered in the evening and will continue off and on overnight.—
Kenton Gewecke,
ABC News,
16 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
In-lab sleep tests can identify the cause of abnormal behaviors that happen while someone is sleeping like recurrent nightmares, sleepwalking and more.—
Helen Carefoot,
Flow Space,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Currently, there is a huge gap between the number of people who may seek out fertility treatment in the US—for example, those with infertility or recurrent miscarriage, and LGBTQ+ folks—and those who can access it.—
Erica Sloan,
SELF,
9 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
For a studio that once made sequels only sporadically, these box-office grosses have raised questions about the viability of original Pixar stories going forward.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Human cases have been sporadically reported in people who have recently traveled outside of the United States.—
Caleb Lunetta,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Mar. 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 union staff organized last spring and have been negotiating their first contract with management intermittently since September.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
6 Mar. 2026
-
He’s developed in that time into a key leader in the locker room and has served intermittently as a team captain.—
Adam Grosbard,
Oc Register,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The bank—which covers Minnesota, Montana, North and South Dakota, as well as parts of Wisconsin and Michigan—issued one of its periodic Beige Book reports on business and economic conditions on Wednesday.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
6 Mar. 2026
-
The private credit specialist will instead switch to periodic payouts funded by asset sales, earnings and other strategic deals.—
Hugh Leask,
CNBC,
5 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Rodriguez Gutierrez was under a supervisory order and required to periodically check in with an immigration officer or face deportation for failing to report, according to De Bremaeker.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
-
They should be cleaned periodically and replaced every one to two years.—
Cody Godwin,
USA Today,
8 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The gray, white, and blue stripes, accented with an intermittent chevron pattern, add interest, while moderate distressing helps disguise everyday wear and tear.—
Shea Simmons,
Southern Living,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Industry insiders have spoken of intermittent communication from Noma buyers and have alluded to them pitting farmers against each other in pursuit of better prices.—
Emily Wilson,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“On and off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/on%20and%20off. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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