as in off and on
not constantly or steadily over a period of time
It's been raining on and off all afternoon.
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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
Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 27 Mar. 2026
Trump said at the start of a roughly five-minute, on-and-off diatribe on the Sharpie.
—ABC News, 26 Mar. 2026
After years of an on-and-off feud — which viewers had grown tired of — Giudice, Gorga and Joe Gorga, Giudice’s brother (who’s also in the main cast), made up last year.
—Payton Turkeltaub, Variety, 24 Mar. 2026
The sheriff's office said Strouble and Lambert had an on-and-off romantic relationship and had children together.
—Noel Brennan, CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026
Perhaps the most notorious example is Carrie and Big’s on-and-off again fling in Sex and the City, which stretched across six seasons and two movies, causing no shortage of headaches for the girls.
—Jenna Ryu, SELF, 19 Mar. 2026
The two officially ended their relationship in December 2024, after the birth of their son but have kept up on-and-off romantic contact with each other since.
—Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 18 Mar. 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.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 17 Mar. 2026
Airlines have been grappling with airspace closures for years, including from on-and-off conflict in the Middle East and since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, that have left a large swath of airspace out of use for many carriers.
—Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 12 Mar. 2026
Adjective
Judge Joel Bennathan sentenced Matvei Rumiantsev, a 23-year-old Russian national, to two years in prison after being found guilty of assault for abusing his on-and-off girlfriend.
—Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 27 Mar. 2026
Trump said at the start of a roughly five-minute, on-and-off diatribe on the Sharpie.
—ABC News, 26 Mar. 2026
After years of an on-and-off feud — which viewers had grown tired of — Giudice, Gorga and Joe Gorga, Giudice’s brother (who’s also in the main cast), made up last year.
—Payton Turkeltaub, Variety, 24 Mar. 2026
The sheriff's office said Strouble and Lambert had an on-and-off romantic relationship and had children together.
—Noel Brennan, CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026
Perhaps the most notorious example is Carrie and Big’s on-and-off again fling in Sex and the City, which stretched across six seasons and two movies, causing no shortage of headaches for the girls.
—Jenna Ryu, SELF, 19 Mar. 2026
The two officially ended their relationship in December 2024, after the birth of their son but have kept up on-and-off romantic contact with each other since.
—Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 18 Mar. 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.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 17 Mar. 2026
Airlines have been grappling with airspace closures for years, including from on-and-off conflict in the Middle East and since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, that have left a large swath of airspace out of use for many carriers.
—Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 12 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for on and off
Adverb
-
That action could be done on a seasonal basis, or off and on during the summer.—
Chuck Fieldman,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Mar. 2026
-
McCartney has been open about having been in the studio off and on for years, largely with producer Andrew Watt, and about having plans to finally release a new album in 2026.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
17 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Arched French doors—a recurrent design motif throughout the property—open onto twin Juliet balconies with panoramic lake views.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
21 Mar. 2026
-
Their 2024-25 showcased a recurrent theme at Anfield, whereby transfer spending waned.—
Chris Weatherspoon,
New York Times,
13 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
For months, Russians have complained that Telegram was working slower and more sporadically, and this week users began reporting a major slowdown.—
Yuliya Talmazan,
NBC news,
22 Mar. 2026
-
The aurora borealis could sporadically appear post-peak and during summertime, when polar regions are experiencing the midnight sun.—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
22 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The Bell Street Bridge encampment was prioritized for closure as part of Downtown Rising – the first phase of Atlanta Rising, a multi-year campaign launched in 2025 to end unsheltered homelessness citywide and make homelessness rare, brief and non-recurring.—
Emily McLeod,
CBS News,
7 Mar. 2026
-
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
Adverb
-
This dual-sensor setup improves tracking of low-observable or intermittently emitting targets.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Gore’s potential, intermittently tapped, ranks among the game’s elite lefties.—
Kevin Sherrington
Mar. 25,
Dallas Morning News,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
While current techniques use large, expensive devices to provide periodic updates of the Earth’s magnetic field, SBQuantum’s magnetometer is about the size of a quart of milk and provides continuous, high-quality monitoring data with exceptional precision.—
Ameya Paleja,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Even amid the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, periodic strikes have continued, with the death toll continuing to mount.—
Chantal Da Silva,
NBC news,
27 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
The two bodies established diplomatic ties in 1993 but have periodically faced tensions over access to holy sites and the treatment of Christian communities.—
Claire Carter,
The Washington Examiner,
30 Mar. 2026
-
The crew will periodically close lanes, but the intersection and the traffic lights should remain on and open.—
Elle Meyers,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
While Coptic Christians have long faced discrimination and intermittent violence in Egypt, attacks during this period intensified in both scale and public visibility.—
Candace Lukasik,
The Conversation,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Robert Kearns, a Michigan engineer, invented the intermittent windshield wiper in the 1960s.—
Ugo Troiano,
Oc Register,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“On and off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/on%20and%20off. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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