ON-AND-OFF Synonyms: 72 Similar and Opposite Words

on and off 1 of 2

adverb

Definition of on and off

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

on-and-off

2 of 2

adjective

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 show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of on and off

Adjective

Hayden Panettiere’s on-and-off boyfriend Brian Hickerson is speaking out amid the ongoing investigation into the late Nashville actress’s tragic death at 36. — Lara Walsh, InStyle, 17 Sep. 2026 Shot on-and-off by the filmmaker over the course of three years, the documentary is receiving its world premiere as the opening night film of the Oldenburg International Film Festival. — Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 17 Sep. 2026 Detailed in the script, Carrie crushes the spewing water pipes with her mind, but the folks manning the on-and-off switches aren’t yet in sync. — Entertainment Weekly, 15 Sep. 2026 Justin and Hailey officially wed in September 2018 at a New York City courthouse after years of on-and-off dating. — Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 13 Sep. 2026 The rappers have had an on-and-off-again relationship since tying the knot in September 2017. — Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 8 Sep. 2026 But after eight years of on-and-off trade and technology wars with the United States, China’s economic fundamentals have remained stable. — Da Wei, Foreign Affairs, 7 Sep. 2026 Hayden Panettiere's estranged mother, Lesley Vogel, is disputing the account of her daughter's final hours given by Panettiere's on-and-off boyfriend Brian Hickerson. — Paris Close, USA Today, 24 Aug. 2026 Continue reading … FIRST WORDS — Hayden Panettiere's on-and-off boyfriend Brian Hickerson breaks his silence. — FOXNews.com, 21 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for on and off

Adverb

Ohtani was seen shaking out his arm between swings and hobbling off and on for months.

— Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026
Repeatedly taking your shoes off and on is time-consuming and exasperating.

— R. Eric Thomas, Mercury News, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of off and on

Adjective

According to the county, the condition accounts for 15% of recurrent pregnancy loss, but testing is not part of routine prenatal screening.

— Julie Sharp, CBS News, 16 Sep. 2026
However, in a person with PCD, those threadlike structures can beat abnormally, hindering airway clearance and contributing to recurrent respiratory infections.

— Molly Finlay, CNN Money, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of recurrent

Adjective

How Recurring Revenue Is The Pump There’s only one kind of funding that reliably shows up in year seven—recurring, unrestricted revenue.

— Sarah Evans, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
Excluding non-recurring events, the magnitude of the average S & P 500 earnings surprise for the quarter is still about 11%.

— Sarah Min, CNBC, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of recurring

Adjective

El Niño breaks into record territory El Niño is a periodic warming of the tropical eastern Pacific Ocean along the equator that influences weather patterns around the globe.

— Sean Macaday, Sacbee.com, 21 Sep. 2026
The future of governance is therefore not about eliminating periodic governance reviews.

— Ramachander Rao Thallada, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of periodic

Adverb

The Department of Financial Services periodically holds unclaimed property auctions, where abandoned safe deposit box contents are auctioned by the Division of Unclaimed Property, the state said.

— Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 17 Sep. 2026
Lanes of a key Pocket neighborhood road will be shut down periodically for the next six weeks as crews repair an 8-foot-wide depression in the road, according to the city of Sacramento Department of Utilities.

— Madison Smalstig, Sacbee.com, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of periodically

Adjective

How Compression Boots Work Compression boots rely on intermittent pneumatic compression, or IPC.

— Samantha Agate, Sacbee.com, 17 Sep. 2026
The devices use sequential pneumatic pressure to squeeze the legs in wave-like patterns, a technique clinicians call intermittent pneumatic compression, or IPC.

— Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of intermittent

Browse Nearby Words

on all hands

on and off

on-and-off

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Style

“On and off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/on%20and%20off. Accessed 24 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of on and off

adverb

adjective

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