as in off and on
not constantly or steadily over a period of time
It's been raining on and off all afternoon.
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in recurrent
occurring or appearing at intervals
an on-and-off friendship over the years
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for on and off
Adverb
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Yet for busy business travelers or families looking to catch their breath after bracing crowded TSA lines and taking their shoes off and on, the facilities meet basic needs.—
Vinod Sreeharsha,
Miami Herald,
20 Mar. 2025 -
He’s worked on the Oscars off and on since 1989, the year of the infamous Rob Lowe-Snow White … whatever the hell that was.—
Maer Roshan,
The Hollywood Reporter,
26 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Abrupt reductions in aid will put millions more children at risk In the past 25 years, the number of stunted children — kids whose growth has been impaired by a chronic or recurrent lack of nutritious food — has decreased by 55 million, or one-third.—
Sarah Ferguson,
Forbes.com,
27 Mar. 2025
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Concerns about antibiotic resistance have largely been allayed in recent years by clinical practices that reduce the risk, even among people with recurrent UTIs.—
Cordelia Nwankwo,
Verywell Health,
24 Mar. 2025
Adverb
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Though Mindy only appears sporadically in the first 10 episodes, there’s a good chance viewers will see more of her, should Hulu renew Mid-Century Modern for a second season.—
Andy Swift,
TVLine,
27 Mar. 2025
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Meanwhile, Baldwin, who works as a program manager for a nonprofit that holds classes and workshops for seniors, gets small raises sporadically and hasn’t received a bump in two years.—
Paul Davidson,
USA TODAY,
25 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Dobson says the research is coming now that the power engineering community increasingly recognizes cascading failures as a distinct and recurring problem—a concept that still elicited protests from power engineers in the aftermath of the 2003 blackout.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
14 Aug. 2013
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The strange makeup of recurring dreams Research has found that most recurring dreams have a negative tone with themes often related to helplessness, failure, or being chased.—
Stacey Colino,
TIME,
4 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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And in spite of market turbulence caused by Mr. Trump's tariff threats, some experts think stocks are likely to gain strength in the months to come, although not without periodic bouts of volatility.—
Alain Sherter,
CBS News,
19 Mar. 2025
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Conducting periodic retrospectives, creating an iterative feedback loop with stakeholders, and breaking down your strategy into manageable, agile pieces all helps to maintain alignment and enable progression toward business-objective achievement.—
Forrester,
Forbes,
18 Mar. 2025
Adverb
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Odds and futures refresh periodically and are subject to change, including on props and live betting.—
Jay Ginsbach,
Forbes.com,
29 Mar. 2025
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Proposals to change the 1990 law have surfaced periodically over the years and have spurred lobbying fights.—
Jim Saunders,
Sun Sentinel,
26 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Roughly 164 were returned to non-pay intermittent status, while the rest were returned to paid administrative leave.—
Ashley Murray,
Baltimore Sun,
19 Mar. 2025
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The 2025 season opener in Australia was an intense race for all F1 teams considering the intermittent rainfall that led them to shift tire strategies according to the varying conditions.—
Mark Davis,
Newsweek,
16 Mar. 2025
Adverb
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Cassell occasionally brings this discourse to life as a panel host and guest.—
Cassell Ferere,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
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Highlight: Some guests have remarked on the magical family of deer that occasionally wanders by the house.—
Elise Taylor,
Vogue,
22 Mar. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“On and off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/on%20and%20off. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.
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