now and then

adverb

: from time to time : occasionally
now and then we go off to the country

Examples of now and then in a Sentence

we do go to the library now and then, but not as often as we should
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Both were a byword, too, for male beauty, fully alive to the almost laughable impact of their handsomeness, yet ill at ease, now and then, with their perches on the pedestal. Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2025 Feast your eyes on the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i, a low-cost laptop option that rings up under $500, thanks to today's discount, and can be used as a daily driver for those who hop online and launch applications every now and then. PC Magazine, 17 Sep. 2025 But depending on what happens between now and then, the 2027 offseason could be paradigm-shifting nevertheless. Bryan Toporek, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025 My dad would always play documentaries about prison life and stuff that would come on Discovery ID or, every now and then, even national news segments. Kansas City Star, 10 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for now and then

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of now and then was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Now and then.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/now%20and%20then. Accessed 19 Sep. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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