1
as in sporadic
lacking in steadiness or regularity of occurrence
the weekend forecast is for occasional showers
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in odd
not often occurring or repeated
an occasional mechanical problem with our car, but nothing serious
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of occasional
The holiday partiers were decked out in everything from cocktail dresses to suits to t-shirts and jeans, accessorized with the occasional snowflake earrings or Christmas-tree pin.
—
Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Sep. 2025
Instead, Baron would prefer to see more midtier travel credit cards offer easier-to-access perks and benefits like occasional lounge access for infrequent travelers, as well as automatic credits on eligible purchases.
—Katherine Fan, AFAR Media, 18 Sep. 2025
Even though Harris only wrote the occasional episode after the pilot, her investment in foregrounding the issues that older women face in their everyday lives resonated throughout the show’s seven seasons.
—Time, 17 Sep. 2025
Thousands of yellowtail and barracuda were landed, as well as an occasional bluefin and once … a marlin.
—Eric Duvall, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for occasional
Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Sep. 2025
Instead, Baron would prefer to see more midtier travel credit cards offer easier-to-access perks and benefits like occasional lounge access for infrequent travelers, as well as automatic credits on eligible purchases.
—Katherine Fan, AFAR Media, 18 Sep. 2025
Even though Harris only wrote the occasional episode after the pilot, her investment in foregrounding the issues that older women face in their everyday lives resonated throughout the show’s seven seasons.
—Time, 17 Sep. 2025
Thousands of yellowtail and barracuda were landed, as well as an occasional bluefin and once … a marlin.
—Eric Duvall, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for occasional
Recent Examples of Synonyms for occasional
Adjective
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Humberto Leon, of Opening Ceremony, acted as something of a business mentor; Jennifer Sabel, a casting director and longtime friend, provided sporadic, informal investments—a couple thousand dollars here and there, with no strings attached.—
Ana Karina Zatarain,
New Yorker,
19 Sep. 2025
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Over in Grand Rapids, there’s sporadic pushback on fluoridation, said water system manager Wayne Jernberg.—
Anna Clark,
ProPublica,
18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Others focussed on Netanyahu’s odd choice of metaphor.—
Ruth Margalit,
New Yorker,
18 Sep. 2025
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The study would seem to be an odd choice to inform vaccine policy in the US.—
Brenda Goodman,
CNN Money,
18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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In some cases, this even results in no weight loss during intermittent fasting, and instead to muscle loss and fat buildup.—
Frederik Jötten,
Scientific American,
12 Sep. 2025
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What's more, intermittent fasting (which has been shown to alleviate some symptoms of Alzheimer's disease), following a period of eating a high-fat diet was also enough of an intervention to restore normal activity to the CCK interneurons.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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There’s a really solid understanding of mecha design underpinning the art direction, too, and that’s a rare thing to see these days.—
Ollie Barder,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
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Researchers have previously noted an elevated but rare risk of myocarditis, or inflamed heart muscle, in young men in particular.—
Annika Kim Constantino,
CNBC,
18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Earthquakes' sudden, rapid shaking can cause fires, tsunamis, landslides or avalanches.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
20 Sep. 2025
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The sudden collapse of that system could trigger a violent scramble for territory and resources, destabilizing any transition.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
20 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Save from isolated slip-ups, all addressed by and mended with the captain, there were no big issues.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
16 Sep. 2025
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Although some areas of Central Texas saw heavy rainfall this summer, isolated downpours do not provide the consistent, widespread recharge needed to replenish aquifer systems.—
Theo Burman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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This is an unusual feature for a screen that’s designed for color-critical design tasks.—
Mark Sparrow,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
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When Macron was here, Mick Jagger was there with his girlfriend, which is quite unusual.—
Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
14 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Paper capacity is generous enough to keep refills infrequent.—
Shubham Yewale,
PC Magazine,
12 Sep. 2025
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Still, this figure seems generous, considering the infrequent goalscoring opportunities.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Occasional.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/occasional. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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