as in on and off
not constantly or steadily over a period of time
They've been dating off and on for almost a year.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of off and on
Instead of turning it off and on, consider reducing the temperature by a few degrees.
—
Lauren David, Southern Living, 9 Dec. 2024
This comes on the heels of reports of drones that loitered over Langley Air Force Base in Virginia off and on for nearly two weeks.
—Anna Mulrine Grobe, The Christian Science Monitor, 16 Dec. 2024
Lake-effect snow has been hitting Buffalo throughout the holiday weekend with is expected to continue off and on through Sunday night, with temperatures just below freezing.
—Michael Nowels, The Mercury News, 1 Dec. 2024
Doute soon became one of the show’s stars and main driver of plot lines, from her bid to prove her ex, Tom Sandoval, was a cheater, to her precarious employment at SUR and off and on friendships with costars Stassi Schroeder and Katie Maloney.
—Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 6 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for off and on 
Lauren David, Southern Living, 9 Dec. 2024
This comes on the heels of reports of drones that loitered over Langley Air Force Base in Virginia off and on for nearly two weeks.
—Anna Mulrine Grobe, The Christian Science Monitor, 16 Dec. 2024
Lake-effect snow has been hitting Buffalo throughout the holiday weekend with is expected to continue off and on through Sunday night, with temperatures just below freezing.
—Michael Nowels, The Mercury News, 1 Dec. 2024
Doute soon became one of the show’s stars and main driver of plot lines, from her bid to prove her ex, Tom Sandoval, was a cheater, to her precarious employment at SUR and off and on friendships with costars Stassi Schroeder and Katie Maloney.
—Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 6 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for off and on
Recent Examples of Synonyms for off and on
Adverb
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But aside from the sporadically interesting anecdote or observation, most of the talking head discussion don’t illuminate what isn’t already plain to see.—
Vikram Murthi,
IndieWire,
24 Jan. 2025
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For years, the list of foods in the thrifty plan was updated only sporadically.—
Matthew Yglesias,
The Mercury News,
23 Jan. 2025
Adverb
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Listen to this article Homeowners and HOAs periodically face major construction contracts for renovation or repairs, particularly after a disaster.—
Kelly G. Richardson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Jan. 2025
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The answer so far has been an odd mix of avoiding doom scrolling and periodically checking in to rail against injustice, but the myriad reactions have delivered the same result: misinformation.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
24 Jan. 2025
Adverb
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Short-term, everyday hiccups are typically not a cause for concern and rarely lead to complications.—
Cristina Mutchler,
Verywell Health,
28 Jan. 2025
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The show bends over backward to explain that the Sinatra nickname comes from Samantha’s frequent use of hats, even though Nicholson’s head is rarely covered.—
Alan Sepinwall,
Rolling Stone,
28 Jan. 2025
Adverb
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Rare winter storm:Southern system turns deadly; dig-out begins Rare black ice in New Orleans State and local officials were struggling to clear roadways left unnavigable by the storm, sometimes dealing with a shortage of plows in states seldom requiring them.—
Brandon Girod,
USA TODAY,
23 Jan. 2025
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Its citizens have voiced their distrust of the police department over the years on a number of fronts, noting that officers — many of them white and Hispanic — seldom leave their patrol cars except to make an arrest.—
JULIE K. BROWN,
Miami Herald,
23 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near off and on
Cite this Entry
“Off and on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/off%20and%20on. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.
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