1
as in occasional
lacking in steadiness or regularity of occurrence
sporadic loud noises kept startling everyone
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in infrequent
not often occurring or repeated
so long as the complaints remain sporadic, we're doing fine
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sporadic
Earlier in the season, Gordon’s changeup was not nearly as effective, and his fastball command was sporadic.
—
Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 17 Sep. 2025
The sporadic and secret underground river is part of a thriving hidden ecosystem.
—Karl Schneider, IndyStar, 17 Sep. 2025
But Kane explained that these sporadic eruptions aren’t expected to add much carbon to the atmosphere.
—Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025
Kiir and Machar had served in a unity government as part of a peace deal that ended the civil war, but their partnership remained tenuous and sporadic violence has continued between the two sides.
—CNN Money, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sporadic
Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 17 Sep. 2025
The sporadic and secret underground river is part of a thriving hidden ecosystem.
—Karl Schneider, IndyStar, 17 Sep. 2025
But Kane explained that these sporadic eruptions aren’t expected to add much carbon to the atmosphere.
—Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025
Kiir and Machar had served in a unity government as part of a peace deal that ended the civil war, but their partnership remained tenuous and sporadic violence has continued between the two sides.
—CNN Money, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sporadic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sporadic
Adjective
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In August 2023, Perez – a tourism official who manages the island’s biggest concert venue, the Coliseo – got a phone call from two producers for Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, the genre-bending Puerto Rican rapper, singer, actor and occasional professional wrestler better known as Bad Bunny.—
Max Saltman,
CNN Money,
13 Sep. 2025
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About the series This is the second this year in an occasional series on 2025 winners of the annual WaterSmart Landscape Contest, conducted in partnership with the San Diego County Water Authority.—
Caron Golden,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 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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Simmons attributed the early struggles to some erratic snaps by center Julius Pierce along with FIU’s inability to execute double-team blocks.—
Alex Krutchik,
Miami Herald,
14 Sep. 2025
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That same year, the actor was fired from the sitcom following a series of erratic public outbursts and reported clashes with showrunner Chuck Lorre.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Earthquakes' sudden, rapid shaking can cause fires, tsunamis, landslides or avalanches.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
13 Sep. 2025
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And then all of a sudden, the pick.—
Doug Kyed,
Boston Herald,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The mobiles stir like birds or trees; the stabiles squat, grumpy and irregular, like walruses.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
15 Sep. 2025
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Examples of these processes can be found throughout nature, from the unpredictable rise and fall of stock market values to the irregular heartbeat cadence.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sporadic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sporadic. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
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