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
Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 24 Jan. 2026
Van Patten and White star in Tell Me Lies as Lucy and Stephen, a toxic, on-and-off couple whose relationship begins in college and runs the course of nearly a decade.
—Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 20 Jan. 2026
After a week of on-and-off flurries, weather officials say a cold spell is in the forecast for the weekend, with highs in the cool teens for the Chicago Bears’ playoff game against the Los Angeles Rams.
—Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 16 Jan. 2026
Snow is expected to continue on-and-off through Friday afternoon, with temperatures reaching highs of 33 to 34 degrees, Heeren said.
—Maia Pandey, jsonline.com, 16 Jan. 2026
Last season of Tell Me Lies, Hulu’s soapy, sardonic drama about a toxic on-and-off relationship between college students Lucy Albright (Grace Van Patten) and Stephen DeMarco (Jackson White), ended with a bang—literally.
—Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 13 Jan. 2026
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
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
Adjective
The podcast paints Jordan as an increasingly controlling and abusive on-and-off-again boyfriend of Arceneaux's who at one point gave her three pages of rules to follow, like sharing social media passwords and her location.
—Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 24 Jan. 2026
Van Patten and White star in Tell Me Lies as Lucy and Stephen, a toxic, on-and-off couple whose relationship begins in college and runs the course of nearly a decade.
—Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 20 Jan. 2026
After a week of on-and-off flurries, weather officials say a cold spell is in the forecast for the weekend, with highs in the cool teens for the Chicago Bears’ playoff game against the Los Angeles Rams.
—Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 16 Jan. 2026
Snow is expected to continue on-and-off through Friday afternoon, with temperatures reaching highs of 33 to 34 degrees, Heeren said.
—Maia Pandey, jsonline.com, 16 Jan. 2026
Last season of Tell Me Lies, Hulu’s soapy, sardonic drama about a toxic on-and-off relationship between college students Lucy Albright (Grace Van Patten) and Stephen DeMarco (Jackson White), ended with a bang—literally.
—Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 13 Jan. 2026
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for on and off
Adverb
-
The far-right politician is suddenly distancing himself from an American president who, off and on over the last year, has made aggressive plays to annex Greenland, targeting Danish borders that have existed for roughly 300 years.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Sporadic rain Friday will turn to freezing rain and ice around midnight that will continue off and on until Sunday morning.—
Brandon Miller,
CNN Money,
23 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
In central defence, Antonio Rudiger and Eder Militao have suffered recurrent injuries, a situation surely influenced by Madrid’s intense schedule.—
Mario Cortegana,
New York Times,
4 Feb. 2026
-
While research into how different foods and drinks impact urinary tract infections is still ongoing, dietary changes may be worth discussing with a doctor, especially for people with recurrent infections.—
Miriam Fauzia,
Dallas Morning News,
29 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
Everyone’s blood sugar levels sporadically spike, and that’s normal, but keeping it steady helps prevent energy crashes, hunger pangs, and mood swings, Dardarian says.—
Julia Ries Wexler,
Outside,
4 Feb. 2026
-
After all, Tom takes off right after Alice suggests the two settle down in New Jersey, where she’s just been offered a job at Princeton, rather than sporadically meet up in exotic locales when their schedules allow.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
1 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
-
After 15 days without internet access, civilians were gradually able to reconnect to social media intermittently.—
Molly Hunter,
NBC news,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Tall, cold, alone, tough, quiet and only intermittently illuminating.—
Mark Kennedy,
Boston Herald,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
While crews will try to keep disruptions to a minimum, periodic lane closures and short-term detours will be inevitable, Mendoza said.—
Alex Driggars,
Austin American Statesman,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Boyd also reached for periodic forkfuls, especially of the chocolate, while Wheeler limited his intake to coffee.—
Nell Freudenberger,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
Another idea is that the rhythm causes brief fluctuations in alertness, allowing sleeping animals to periodically check their surroundings and reduce the risk of being eaten.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Jan. 2026
-
Funds that hold the physical assets may also sell off some of their holdings periodically to cover expenses and redemptions.—
Darla Mercado, CFP®,
CNBC,
23 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The study offers a biological explanation for why movement—even gentle or intermittent movement—may help slow tumor growth.—
Avi Patel,
Hartford Courant,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Ray, by contrast, is a figure of intermittent but undeniable mirth—a citadel of physical perfection whose sublimity occasionally touches the ridiculous.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“On and off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/on%20and%20off. Accessed 7 Feb. 2026.
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