off and on

adverb

: with periodic cessation : intermittently
rained off and on all day
off-and-on adjective
They have an off-and-on relationship.
off-and-on work

Examples of off and on in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
This comes on the heels of reports of drones that loitered over Langley Air Force Base in Virginia off and on for nearly two weeks. Anna Mulrine Grobe, The Christian Science Monitor, 16 Dec. 2024 Lake-effect snow has been hitting Buffalo throughout the holiday weekend with is expected to continue off and on through Sunday night, with temperatures just below freezing. Michael Nowels, The Mercury News, 1 Dec. 2024 Doute soon became one of the show’s stars and main driver of plot lines, from her bid to prove her ex, Tom Sandoval, was a cheater, to her precarious employment at SUR and off and on friendships with costars Stassi Schroeder and Katie Maloney. Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 6 Dec. 2024 Uber has offered limited Christmas tree delivery, off and on, since 2015 — usually through partnerships with local vendors. Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 5 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for off and on 

Word History

First Known Use

1535, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of off and on was in 1535

Dictionary Entries Near off and on

Cite this Entry

“Off and on.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/off%20and%20on. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

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