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
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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
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Recent Examples of on and off
Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 23 May 2026
So having that sort of quiet moment in all of the chaos [with on-and-off screen love Charlie Heaton] was such a gift and an opportunity.
—Leigh Blickley, Entertainment Weekly, 22 May 2026
The holiday weekend, however, is looking unsettled at the moment, with on-and-off rain and below normal temperatures.
—Justin Lewis, CBS News, 20 May 2026
This is an incredible show to watch as preparation for the moments your friends come to you to talk about their on-and-off situationships.
—Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 15 May 2026
After a week of some on-and-off weather with wind chills and chance showers in the Philadelphia area, the weekend is supposed to be the same story — at least for the first half.
—Kaitlyn McCormick, USA Today, 1 May 2026
Brown frames the memoir with an investigation of her complicated on-and-off relationship with her narcissist mother until their eventual rupture, and weaves in dozens of interviews and research.
—Literary Hub, 28 Apr. 2026
Apple’s software is also the source of on-and-off griping, with last year’s Liquid Glass redesign occasioning some particularly harsh criticism.
—ArsTechnica, 24 Apr. 2026
Previously, Batula was married to Wilson’s friend, Kyle Cooke, and Wilson had a on-and-off relationship with Batula’s best friend, Ciara Miller.
—William Earl, Variety, 24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
LaBeouf and on-and-off girlfriend Mia Goth welcomed a daughter in 2022.
—Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 23 May 2026
So having that sort of quiet moment in all of the chaos [with on-and-off screen love Charlie Heaton] was such a gift and an opportunity.
—Leigh Blickley, Entertainment Weekly, 22 May 2026
The holiday weekend, however, is looking unsettled at the moment, with on-and-off rain and below normal temperatures.
—Justin Lewis, CBS News, 20 May 2026
This is an incredible show to watch as preparation for the moments your friends come to you to talk about their on-and-off situationships.
—Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 15 May 2026
After a week of some on-and-off weather with wind chills and chance showers in the Philadelphia area, the weekend is supposed to be the same story — at least for the first half.
—Kaitlyn McCormick, USA Today, 1 May 2026
Brown frames the memoir with an investigation of her complicated on-and-off relationship with her narcissist mother until their eventual rupture, and weaves in dozens of interviews and research.
—Literary Hub, 28 Apr. 2026
Apple’s software is also the source of on-and-off griping, with last year’s Liquid Glass redesign occasioning some particularly harsh criticism.
—ArsTechnica, 24 Apr. 2026
Previously, Batula was married to Wilson’s friend, Kyle Cooke, and Wilson had a on-and-off relationship with Batula’s best friend, Ciara Miller.
—William Earl, Variety, 24 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for on and off
Adverb
-
If your Fingerling is not responding, try turning your pet off and on.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
15 May 2026
-
To toggle your new pet off and on, type /pet into the composer, then use Wake Pet or Tuck Away Pet in Settings > Appearance.—
Will McCurdy,
PC Magazine,
3 May 2026
Adjective
-
Dizziness and headaches have also become more recurrent.—
Nicole Acevedo,
NBC news,
18 May 2026
-
Wangchuk regularly flies to Bangkok for recurrent training and proficiency checks.—
Chris Dong,
Travel + Leisure,
12 May 2026
Adverb
-
Misael eating meat alone, cutting up pieces with an enormous knife while barely lit by the flames in front of him, and, sporadically, almost-silent lightning bursts in the distant background.—
Vadim Rizov,
IndieWire,
16 May 2026
-
While Naverrette flawlessly plays Nikki as being possessed by a sinister spirit who’s obsessed with Bear, her performance also includes tortured outbursts as the real Nikki sporadically breaks free from her subconscious to react in horror as her friend takes advantage of the situation.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
15 May 2026
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.—
Emily McLeod,
CBS News,
7 Mar. 2026
-
This was and is a non-recurring, cyclical business totally dependent on transaction volumes, which fluctuate with economic cycles and interest rates.—
Josh Brown,Sean Russo,
CNBC,
15 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
This is why the humor only intermittently lands.—
Angelica Jade Bastién,
Vulture,
23 May 2026
-
Throughout the evening, Colbert complained about a strange noise paired with a green light that intermittently appeared behind his desk.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
22 May 2026
Adjective
-
To reassure unit owners that all expenditures are above board, associations should provide them with periodic reports.—
Meily Perez,
Miami Herald,
22 May 2026
-
That makes periodic governance resets worthwhile.—
Alonzo Martinez,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
Adverb
-
The two periodically clashed during their time together in Philadelphia.—
Matt Gelb,
New York Times,
25 May 2026
-
Over the past two decades, however, more farmers have used intermittent flooding – draining their fields periodically.—
Hanqin Tian,
Fortune,
25 May 2026
Adjective
-
Modern economies, critics argued, cannot run on intermittent power.—
Ken Silverstein,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
-
Neither intermittent fasting nor small, frequent meals directly boosts your metabolism.—
Caitlin Beale,
Health,
19 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“On and off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/on%20and%20off. Accessed 27 May. 2026.
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