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
Relevance
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for on and off
Adverb
-
The San Diego Zoo has cared for Tasmanian devils off and on since the 1950s.—
Karen Kucher,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
1 Aug. 2025 -
Over the course of his nearly four seasons in Minnesota, Correa was a leader for the Twins, both off and on the field.—
Betsy Helfand,
Twin Cities,
31 July 2025
Adjective
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Overall, those who had experienced unexplained recurrent miscarriage had higher concentrations of PFAS in their blood samples than those in the control sample.—
Jasmine Laws,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Aug. 2025
-
In what is likely going to be a recurrent theme this season, no one is ready for The Mule.—
Rafael Motamayor,
Vulture,
18 July 2025
Adverb
-
Their medusa, or visible jellyfish stage, appears sporadically and unpredictably — a particular location might have them one year and not the next, even if conditions are similar.—
Keith Matheny,
Freep.com,
6 Aug. 2025
-
Often compliance systems are bolted on to existing processes, addressed sporadically and evaluated primarily in terms of their ability to prevent penalties.—
Leo Patching,
Forbes.com,
5 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Additionally, someone who opts in to recurring giving will continue supporting that nonprofit for just over eight years, while a non-recurring giver donates to a nonprofit for a little over a year and a half.—
Matt Nash,
Forbes.com,
4 Aug. 2025
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Does this bring him into a more recurring, regular role?—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
9 May 2025
Adjective
-
Heat and humidity was expected to stick around with periodic showers moving through the area.—
Deanese Williams-Harris,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Aug. 2025
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Those resources also power the factories that crank out defensive units that automatically fight to protect your castle from periodic waves of enemies (in adorable pixelated animations that take place on a battlefield to the right of your castle).—
Kyle Orland,
ArsTechnica,
1 Aug. 2025
Adverb
-
Teams must curate diverse, representative comparisons and periodically audit outcomes.—
Ashutosh Synghal,
Forbes.com,
6 Aug. 2025
-
The Florida law requires county elections offices to periodically update the information on their voter rolls, either by contacting all voters — as Seminole is doing — or by reaching out only to voters who have not voted in the past two elections.—
Martin E. Comas,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Yet intermittent fasting can upset the menstrual cycle, and women lose muscle mass from caloric restriction more rapidly than men.—
Tad Friend,
New Yorker,
4 Aug. 2025
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The article traces the history of battery storage from its acceptance as a potential contributor to a low-carbon grid, playing a role in firming up intermittent resources, to its growing importance in grid stability.—
Llewellyn King,
Forbes.com,
1 Aug. 2025
Adverb
-
Tapper occasionally becomes frustrated during on-air coverage.—
Jay Stahl,
USA Today,
16 Aug. 2025
-
He can be hurt and occasionally knocked down, but he’s only been finished once, which was by Rakhmonov in Round 3.—
Brett Appley,
New York Times,
16 Aug. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“On and off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/on%20and%20off. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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