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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Recent Examples of off and on
Wittels, who has been with the gallery off and on since its 1989 launch, and Johnson Montenegro, who joined in 2012, will be promoted to gallery principals.
—
News Desk, Artforum, 15 Jan. 2026
Following her headlining tour for that album, she’s toured off and on with Taylor Swift as Swift’s opening act on select dates of her blockbuster Eras Tour.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 14 Jan. 2026
Cones remained around the hole, off and on, through 2017.
—Charles Bethea, New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2026
Although copper has been mined in the area surrounding Oak Flat off and on since the 1870s, the current struggle over the fate of the campground — deemed sacred by Apaches and other Native peoples and ecologically sensitive by environmentalists — has a history of at least 30 years.
—Debra Utacia Krol, AZCentral.com, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for off and on
News Desk, Artforum, 15 Jan. 2026
Following her headlining tour for that album, she’s toured off and on with Taylor Swift as Swift’s opening act on select dates of her blockbuster Eras Tour.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 14 Jan. 2026
Cones remained around the hole, off and on, through 2017.
—Charles Bethea, New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2026
Although copper has been mined in the area surrounding Oak Flat off and on since the 1870s, the current struggle over the fate of the campground — deemed sacred by Apaches and other Native peoples and ecologically sensitive by environmentalists — has a history of at least 30 years.
—Debra Utacia Krol, AZCentral.com, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for off and on
Recent Examples of Synonyms for off and on
Adverb
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In our view, Boise State and San Diego State, in particular, had grown weary of subsidizing the lower-value, sporadically competitive schools in the Mountain West.—
Jon Wilner,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Feb. 2026
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Everyone’s blood sugar levels sporadically spike, and that’s normal, but keeping it steady helps prevent energy crashes, hunger pangs, and mood swings, Dardarian says.—
Julia Ries Wexler,
Outside,
4 Feb. 2026
Adverb
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Calls for Lang to step down intensified since files released on January 30 by the US Department of Justice showed Epstein and Lang corresponding intermittently between 2012 and 2019, when the financier died by suicide in jail.—
Reuters 13 hr ago,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
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After 15 days without internet access, civilians were gradually able to reconnect to social media intermittently.—
Molly Hunter,
NBC news,
30 Jan. 2026
Adverb
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Risher previously told Fortune that acting as a driver periodically enables him to target areas for improvement within the company.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
9 Feb. 2026
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Our practices may change from time to time, so please check back here periodically to review our latest policy.—
Hazlitt,
Hazlitt,
6 Feb. 2026
Adverb
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School photos are rarely acceptable without a release from the photographer.—
Erick Trevino,
AZCentral.com,
10 Feb. 2026
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And while tensions on the Korean Peninsula often capture global headlines, these issues rarely affect daily life in Seoul.—
Taryn White,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Feb. 2026
Adverb
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Your sign’s financial sector has reactive influences, and good decisions are seldom made when Universal stars are underwater.—
Magi Helena,
Dallas Morning News,
11 Feb. 2026
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The program includes Howard Hanson’s Romantic Symphony, a beautiful and seldom-heard symphony by an American composer.—
Ut Community Press,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Off and on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/off%20and%20on. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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