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
Canada was one of the last countries to pull out of the pandemic, and was on lockdown off and on for two years, much longer than the U.S. and other countries.
—
David Moin, WWD, 24 Mar. 2025
Henry has acted off and on since his nomination, with credits including 1984's Sixteen Candles, two episodes of ER in 1997 and a 2010 episode of Brothers & Sisters, among other films and TV appearances.
—Diana Pearl, People.com, 2 Mar. 2025
The property has been logged off and on since the 1800s.
—Paul Rogers, The Mercury News, 11 Feb. 2025
Reinhart and Sprouse — who met while playing lovers on-screen on the CW series and dated off and on in real life for nearly three years — made their couple debut on the Gala's red carpet, confirming what fans suspected for some time.
—Tabitha Parent, People.com, 5 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for off and on
David Moin, WWD, 24 Mar. 2025
Henry has acted off and on since his nomination, with credits including 1984's Sixteen Candles, two episodes of ER in 1997 and a 2010 episode of Brothers & Sisters, among other films and TV appearances.
—Diana Pearl, People.com, 2 Mar. 2025
The property has been logged off and on since the 1800s.
—Paul Rogers, The Mercury News, 11 Feb. 2025
Reinhart and Sprouse — who met while playing lovers on-screen on the CW series and dated off and on in real life for nearly three years — made their couple debut on the Gala's red carpet, confirming what fans suspected for some time.
—Tabitha Parent, People.com, 5 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for off and on
Recent Examples of Synonyms for off and on
Adverb
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Over the decades, Manson and his followers appeared sporadically at parole hearings, where their bids for freedom were repeatedly rejected.—
Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
18 May 2025
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The cemetery was only sporadically maintained by its caretaker, and raking the long grass gave me the eerie feeling of running my fingers through a child’s hair.—
Hazlitt,
Hazlitt,
2 Apr. 2025
Adverb
-
By periodically changing who has access to critical systems, especially for high-privilege roles, organizations can reduce the risk of any one person becoming a single point of failure.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2025
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Gardeners periodically pull up the cages attached to their docks, and clean off any algae or debris, to ensure that the oysters get plenty of water flow.—
Christine Condon,
Baltimore Sun,
24 May 2025
Adverb
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Commercial flights, meanwhile, are rarely convenient for such short-haul trips.—
Amira El-Fekki,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 May 2025
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But historian Stein pointed out that progress is rarely linear.—
Juliana Kim,
NPR,
28 May 2025
Adverb
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There are solid green and variegated cultivars that are drought-tolerant, deer-resistant, and seldom bothered by insect pests.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
4 June 2025
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The measure has proven durable because its benefits were tangible, and voters seldom surrender benefits.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
2 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Off and on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/off%20and%20on. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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