1
as in sporadic
lacking in steadiness or regularity of occurrence
the weekend forecast is for occasional showers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in odd
not often occurring or repeated
an occasional mechanical problem with our car, but nothing serious
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of occasional
Meanwhile, at a blue waterfront five-bedroom that was an occasional launch point for fishing charters until last summer, there’s a full scoreboard stashed in a wide-open garage, nothing in the planters on the small porch, and a Sheepadoodle named Vince Lombardi barking behind the front door.
—
Brian Hamilton, The Athletic, 14 Feb. 2025
Thousands of other Amazon reviewers agree; shoppers say this set is a great value, at around $50, and is great for beginners or occasional lifters.
—Erin Bunch, SELF, 13 Feb. 2025
Fortunately, President Donald Trump recognizes that pairing a big stick with an occasional carrot can shape adversaries’ behavior more effectively than continual confrontation.
—Reid Smith, Foreign Affairs, 3 Feb. 2025
Emma has been some fabulous version of blonde for quite some time now, interrupting her fair-haired streak with the occasional brunette detour.
—Marci Robin, Allure, 3 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for occasional 
Brian Hamilton, The Athletic, 14 Feb. 2025
Thousands of other Amazon reviewers agree; shoppers say this set is a great value, at around $50, and is great for beginners or occasional lifters.
—Erin Bunch, SELF, 13 Feb. 2025
Fortunately, President Donald Trump recognizes that pairing a big stick with an occasional carrot can shape adversaries’ behavior more effectively than continual confrontation.
—Reid Smith, Foreign Affairs, 3 Feb. 2025
Emma has been some fabulous version of blonde for quite some time now, interrupting her fair-haired streak with the occasional brunette detour.
—Marci Robin, Allure, 3 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for occasional
Recent Examples of Synonyms for occasional
Adjective
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FRBs are sporadic, intense flashes of radio wave energy that can be brighter than entire galaxies.—
John Loeffler,
Space.com,
7 Feb. 2025
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Broader and border disputes Not only have different interest groups and political actors used maps of the region to put forth competing geopolitical claims, but maps have also played a central role in sporadic efforts to establish peace in the region.—
Christine Leuenberger,
The Conversation,
7 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Having studied most of the 107 assists credited to goalkeepers in the Premier League, most are essentially long punts upfield that then rely on brilliant work done by the scorer, are the result of defensive mistakes, or are odd quirks that mean the goalkeeper gets the assist on a technicality.—
Nick Miller,
The Athletic,
6 Feb. 2025
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For someone who so often crows about free speech on X/Twitter, that seems pretty odd.—
Brenda Looper,
arkansasonline.com,
5 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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In an effort to onboard users, Tubi was running a free livestream for the championship game, —which ended in a victory for the Eagles—but things didn’t exactly go swimmingly, with multiple users reporting intermittent buffering issues and freezes.—
Dimitar 'Mix' Mihov,
Forbes,
10 Feb. 2025
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However, intermittent fasting comes with major potential health risks for people with conditions such as kidney disease, diabetes, and cancer.—
Laura Dorwart,
Verywell Health,
7 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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These events, while alarming, are statistically rare, and air travel remains one of the safest modes of transportation.—
Bailey Berg,
AFAR Media,
14 Feb. 2025
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What To Know The auction will feature several significant pieces, including: Lucy Ridsdale's Telegram: This handwritten message, sent by Ridsdale to her sister in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is a rare firsthand account of a survivor's immediate experience.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
14 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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Written and directed by Dylan Southern and adapted from the book Grief Is the Thing With Feathers by Max Porter, the new film follows a father (Cumberbatch) and his two sons (Richard and Henry Boxall) who are struggling to cope with the sudden loss of their wife and mother.—
Lily Ford,
The Hollywood Reporter,
18 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The department does not just look at violent crimes as isolated incidents, but instead identifies patterns and repeat offenders to find those who are driving crime in Aurora, Thomas said.—
R. Christian Smith,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Feb. 2025
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Last summer, an unsettling quiet cloaked the isolated Southwest Alaska community of King Cove as the town’s economic engine — a sprawling seafood processing plant — sat shuttered.—
ProPublica,
ProPublica,
13 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Not fun: conflating all unusual, standalone, departure, or otherwise distinctive episodes into the term bottle episode.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
7 Feb. 2025
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Available in three sophisticated shades – carbon, affogato, and flute (a light, blue-tinged grey) – it’s spun from 100% cashmere sourced from a prestigious Italian mill regarded as the world’s finest, and knitted to be a double-faced jersey, which is unusual.—
Benedict Browne,
Robb Report,
7 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Historically, matchups between these teams have been infrequent, mainly due to their conference alignment, but recent NFL scheduling changes have increased the frequency of these contests, with Super Bowl LIX marking their fifth meeting in just eight seasons.—
Yaakov Katz,
Newsweek,
8 Feb. 2025
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These sharp, bracing periods are too infrequent, though, and the back half of the album drifts into a kind of vaporous dream state that verges on self-indulgent.—
Carrie Battan,
The New Yorker,
5 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near occasional
Cite this Entry
“Occasional.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/occasional. Accessed 22 Feb. 2025.
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