as in sporadic
lacking in steadiness or regularity of occurrence
the novel captures the discontinuous nature of a soldier's life: long stretches of boredom interrupted by flashes of action
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Recent Examples of discontinuous
Ignoring this would mean disregarding the essential governance and coordination elements of industrial policy and characterizing this approach as being discontinuous with what’s already happening on the ground.
—
TIME, 16 Oct. 2023
In the current conflict, Hamas attacked Israel with much greater sophistication and scale than ever before—a massive, discontinuous change.
—Amy Zegart, Foreign Affairs, 11 Oct. 2023
Abstract: Tasks involving locally unstable or discontinuous dynamics (such as bifurcations and collisions) remain challenging in robotics, because small variations in the environment can have a significant impact on task outcomes.
—Evan Ackerman, IEEE Spectrum, 2 June 2023
The world is in the early stages of a vast and likely discontinuous energy transition that will match the Industrial Revolution in its hard-to-anticipate effects.
—Robert B. Zoellick, Foreign Affairs, 22 Feb. 2022
See All Example Sentences for discontinuous
TIME, 16 Oct. 2023
In the current conflict, Hamas attacked Israel with much greater sophistication and scale than ever before—a massive, discontinuous change.
—Amy Zegart, Foreign Affairs, 11 Oct. 2023
Abstract: Tasks involving locally unstable or discontinuous dynamics (such as bifurcations and collisions) remain challenging in robotics, because small variations in the environment can have a significant impact on task outcomes.
—Evan Ackerman, IEEE Spectrum, 2 June 2023
The world is in the early stages of a vast and likely discontinuous energy transition that will match the Industrial Revolution in its hard-to-anticipate effects.
—Robert B. Zoellick, Foreign Affairs, 22 Feb. 2022
See All Example Sentences for discontinuous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for discontinuous
Adjective
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China has snubbed the Pentagon’s efforts to maintain military-to-military dialogue, and although former Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin finally met his Chinese counterpart Dong Jun in May 2024, contacts remain sporadic.—
Sergey Radchenko,
Foreign Affairs,
18 Feb. 2025
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Even with those limitations in place, the state’s procurement of EVs has been sporadic.—
John Moritz,
Hartford Courant,
14 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Of course, Diana herself was an enthusiastic if intermittent London Fashion Week attendee from the mid-’80s onwards, using the flashbulb frenzy that followed her from Coleherne Court to Kensington Palace to illuminate the brilliance of the likes of Joe Casely-Hayford.—
Alice Newbold,
Vogue,
22 Feb. 2025
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Not much can be made of the expressions on their faces, but the contorted bodies are sketched to reveal a sense—even evoke a sound—of intermittent agony.—
Emmanuel Iduma,
ARTnews.com,
21 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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When do most of us wear gowns outside of the occasional black tie wedding?—
Sarah Boyd,
Forbes,
28 Feb. 2025
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According to Vasudevan, short-haired breeds typically need brushing once a week and occasional baths, while medium to long-haired breeds, like the golden retriever in the clip, may need brushing a few times a week to prevent tangles.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Release date, cast, more Queen Latifah, Adrien Brody, Kerry Washington, more stars flock to Thom Browne's NYFW show 'Really bummed out:' Beverly Ortega explains sudden departure from 'The Bachelor' When is WorldPride Music Festival 2025?—
Anthony Robledo,
USA TODAY,
19 Feb. 2025
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The car uses regenerative braking to such a degree that conventional brakes are only needed for emergencies or other sudden, unexpected stops.—
Erik Shilling,
Robb Report,
18 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Discontinuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discontinuous. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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