as in off and on
not constantly or steadily over a period of time
It's been raining on and off all afternoon.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
as in recurrent
occurring or appearing at intervals
an on-and-off friendship over the years
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of on and off
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
4 July 2026
What’s more, the sneakers are machine washable for easy cleaning and have a pull tab for effortless on-and-off.
—
Destinee Scott,
Travel + Leisure,
3 July 2026
Officials said Friday that a group of 50 volunteers had joined the effort to look for Kinney along the banks of the lake, adding that on-and-off rain hindered the search, according to WSAZ.
—
James Cirrone,
FOXNews.com,
27 June 2026
An on-and-off again rivalry during the primary The two men shared a similar message during the primary, slamming Democrats for mismanaging the state and calling for tax cuts and regulatory rollbacks.
—
Ben Paviour,
Sacbee.com,
26 June 2026
Rain jackets and ponchos were a common sight Tuesday, but the on-and-off showers did little to dampen the atmosphere at the FIFA Fan Festival on Boston's City Hall Plaza.
—
Aaron Parseghian,
CBS News,
23 June 2026
Further complicating matters, Wilson was in an on-and-off relationship with Summer House's Ciara Miller, one of Batula's closest friends.
—
Kathleen Perricone,
Entertainment Weekly,
19 June 2026
The two had an on-and-off relationship and were making out at the end of season nine.
—
Alejandra Gularte,
Vulture,
15 June 2026
Batula was previously married to Wilson’s friend, Kyle Cooke, while Wilson had an on-and-off relationship with Batula’s best friend, Ciara Miller.
—
Ellise Shafer,
Variety,
10 June 2026
Adjective
Despite the on-and-off rain and the muggy weather, the mood in the city was jovial.
—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
4 July 2026
What’s more, the sneakers are machine washable for easy cleaning and have a pull tab for effortless on-and-off.
—
Destinee Scott,
Travel + Leisure,
3 July 2026
Officials said Friday that a group of 50 volunteers had joined the effort to look for Kinney along the banks of the lake, adding that on-and-off rain hindered the search, according to WSAZ.
—
James Cirrone,
FOXNews.com,
27 June 2026
An on-and-off again rivalry during the primary The two men shared a similar message during the primary, slamming Democrats for mismanaging the state and calling for tax cuts and regulatory rollbacks.
—
Ben Paviour,
Sacbee.com,
26 June 2026
Rain jackets and ponchos were a common sight Tuesday, but the on-and-off showers did little to dampen the atmosphere at the FIFA Fan Festival on Boston's City Hall Plaza.
—
Aaron Parseghian,
CBS News,
23 June 2026
Further complicating matters, Wilson was in an on-and-off relationship with Summer House's Ciara Miller, one of Batula's closest friends.
—
Kathleen Perricone,
Entertainment Weekly,
19 June 2026
The two had an on-and-off relationship and were making out at the end of season nine.
—
Alejandra Gularte,
Vulture,
15 June 2026
Batula was previously married to Wilson’s friend, Kyle Cooke, while Wilson had an on-and-off relationship with Batula’s best friend, Ciara Miller.
—
Ellise Shafer,
Variety,
10 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for on and off
Adverb
-
Northern Minnesota will see thunderstorms off and on throughout the day.
-
Amazon’s streaming service, Prime Video, is the most chaotic major company out there, seemingly random in its assembly of new and classic titles that shuffle off and on the platform every month.
Adjective
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The GalSafe caused only nausea and, in one case, faint flushing; the regular pork gave some patients hives, as well, and sent one woman to the hospital with recurrent vomiting.
-
In a study testing this theory using 212 recurrent dream reports, 66% contained at least one threat and dreamers typically responded with defensive or evasive behavior.
Adverb
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Handley recommends adding a small amount to your compost pile sporadically, then adding this to your soil or as a mulch at the base of your plants.
-
My 21-year-old child responds only sporadically to texts and phone calls, often going days or weeks without a response.
Adjective
-
The Bell Street Bridge encampment was prioritized for closure as part of Downtown Rising – the first phase of Atlanta Rising, a multi-year campaign launched in 2025 to end unsheltered homelessness citywide and make homelessness rare, brief and non-recurring.
-
This was and is a non-recurring, cyclical business totally dependent on transaction volumes, which fluctuate with economic cycles and interest rates.
Adverb
-
Roosevelt lived and ranched in North Dakota intermittently for about two years after the deaths of his wife and mother on the same day in 1884.
-
Rosana Rodriguez, 33rd, whose office is in contact with Martinez-Sifontes’ family, said Albany Park has recently seen fewer ICE encounters than during earlier phases of Operation Midway Blitz, but said enforcement activity still surfaces intermittently.
Adjective
-
Treating Data Discovery As The End Goal Data discovery is still necessary, but many organizations still approach discovery and classification as periodic projects.
-
This kind of abuse — and the swelling cost of cyberscams to victims around the world — has led to periodic crackdowns.
Adverb
-
Unlike conventional porous carbons, which interact only weakly with polysulfides, COFs possess periodically arranged pores whose dimensions, chemical environments, and electronic characteristics can be programmed by design.
-
That passion was evident throughout the evening as supporters periodically broke into song.
Adjective
-
Expanding its use displaces coal in Asia and supports the integration of intermittent renewables by providing flexible backup.
-
Research has shown, for example, that intermittent fasting may be as effective as low-calorie diets for weight loss.
Cite this Entry
“On and off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/on%20and%20off. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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