How to Use off and on in a Sentence

off and on

adverb
  • The geese had been there off and on for days.
    — Ian Frazier, New Yorker, 15 June 2026
  • It’s been this way off and on most of my life.
    — Jeanne Phillips, Mercury News, 28 Nov. 2025
  • The campers were in the area, off and on, for about six weeks.
    — Cynthia Hubert, sacbee, 26 Oct. 2017
  • Ray has been with me for 12 years off and on.
    — Demetrius Patterson, HollywoodReporter, 28 Aug. 2025
  • But off and on the horror would force its way to the surface.
    — Time, 22 Jan. 2020
  • Her right calf bothered her off and on at the start of the season.
    — Kent Youngblood, Star Tribune, 17 Sep. 2020
  • Saturday will be a bit damp with off and on rain chances through the day.
    — Todd Nelson, Star Tribune, 26 Mar. 2021
  • The dad said his son has struggled with heroin use off and on for a decade.
    — John Benson, cleveland, 8 Sep. 2021
  • Most of the lights jumped back on, then flipped off and on again a few minutes later.
    — Tom Noie, The Indianapolis Star, 22 Mar. 2021
  • One of the victims was the son of the house owner and lived in the garage off and on.
    — Kristi Miller, Twin Cities, 9 Feb. 2025
  • The rest of the week will be unsettled with off and on rain and storm chances through the week.
    — Dallas News, 30 May 2021
  • These matters were discussed off and on over the course of the season.
    — Jim Owczarski, Cincinnati.com, 19 Jan. 2018
  • McWilliams, 33, has been homeless off and on for half her life.
    — Los Angeles Times, 22 Aug. 2022
  • Cones remained around the hole, off and on, through 2017.
    — Charles Bethea, New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2026
  • The tension—off and on screen—might just be what charges the comedy.
    — Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 18 May 2018
  • The Cascades are likely to see snow, off and on, for the next few days.
    — oregonlive, 10 Dec. 2020
  • There was a man in my life, who I’d been involved with off and on for about eight years.
    — The Cut, The Cut, 15 Feb. 2018
  • The state has discussed proposals to buy the prison off and on for more than a decade.
    — Mike Cason | [email protected], al, 21 Dec. 2021
  • In fact, some version of it has worked here for about 126 years, off and on.
    — Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 4 Apr. 2025
  • Adding to the fun, the lights are going off and on, much to Stone’s delight.
    — Stephen Rodrick, Variety, 21 Feb. 2024
  • In the shallows, set your dog on the craft and lead her to practice getting off and on again.
    — Sal Vaglica, WSJ, 2 Oct. 2020
  • Reba later got married but still kept in touch with Horner off and on.
    — Amy McDaniel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Apr. 2026
  • The keeper trained off and on with the Lions throughout the past week.
    — Julia Poe, orlandosentinel.com, 5 Sep. 2021
  • The 28-year-old has been with her girlfriend off and on for the past 10 years.
    — Sadé Carpenter, chicagotribune.com, 15 Mar. 2018
  • None of that accounts for Miles Davis, who has been hurt off and on for the last month.
    — Kevin Reynolds, The Salt Lake Tribune, 18 Nov. 2022
  • Szabo, 44, has worked at City Hall off and on over two decades.
    — David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 5 May 2021
  • The rain will become more scattered in the evening and will continue off and on overnight.
    — Kenton Gewecke, ABC News, 16 Feb. 2026
  • Rain showers are expected off and on throughout this time.
    — Ron Smiley, CBS News, 17 Nov. 2025
  • Gadiano worked in the fields off and on from childhood into middle age.
    — Kerry Klein, NPR, 31 Mar. 2026
  • It was meant to be a two-week painting trip, but Hood stayed, off and on, for the next 20 years.
    — Grace Edquist, Vogue, 13 Feb. 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'off and on.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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