How to Use sporadic in a Sentence

sporadic

adjective
  • Sporadic cases of the disease were reported.
  • The sporadic phone calls he was allowed with his sons dried up.
    — Nick Miller, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
  • Back then, the attacks were sporadic and spread out.
    — Michael Holtz, New Yorker, 5 Feb. 2026
  • Heat was sporadic, with a balky boiler that belched black smoke.
    — New York Times, 20 Jan. 2022
  • And if there are some sporadic issues, they'll be dealt with.
    — CBS News, 5 Sep. 2019
  • Over the next few weeks, the rainy season set in, and our swims grew more sporadic.
    — Allison Keeley, The New Yorker, 12 July 2021
  • But the process has been almost upside down and a bit sporadic.
    — Jack Irvin, Peoplemag, 5 Apr. 2024
  • Winds will likely be light with a chance of sporadic showers.
    — Jessica Villagomez, chicagotribune.com, 26 Nov. 2019
  • Flights in and out of the nearest airport are sporadic.
    — John Otis, NPR, 30 May 2026
  • And with each sporadic update came new questions and hot takes.
    — Bailey Loosemore, The Courier-Journal, 16 Oct. 2017
  • About three weeks ago, Paul’s phone calls became more sporadic.
    — Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 20 May 2022
  • Much of the area could pick up an inch of rain, which should become lighter and more sporadic overnight.
    — David Streit, Washington Post, 29 Sep. 2022
  • In the years since, the volcano has triggered sporadic swarms of tiny quakes.
    — Christopher Intagliata, Scientific American, 20 Dec. 2021
  • And that means the mailbag might be a bit more sporadic than usual the next few weeks.
    — Parker Gabriel, The Denver Post, 26 June 2024
  • Young’s on-court role has been sporadic as the Spurs work to find a taker.
    — Jeff McDonald, San Antonio Express-News, 17 Dec. 2021
  • There were sporadic protests across the nation, and these threatened to grow in size.
    — Keith Gessen, The New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2022
  • The moonlight cast shadows along the frozen creek, whose bank held a sporadic growth of birch trees.
    — Steve Meyer, Anchorage Daily News, 9 Nov. 2019
  • Since then, the two countries have been mired in a sporadic shooting war which has killed dozens more.
    — Kevin Collier, NBC News, 25 May 2023
  • Contact with anyone else is more sporadic.
    — Nick Miller, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
  • Machu Picchu has been the scene of sporadic protests in recent years.
    — Mark Johanson, Outside, 25 Sep. 2025
  • Rylee broke his phone in Jordan, so contact with home was sporadic.
    — Megan Myers, Fox News, 28 Aug. 2022
  • There are a few switchbacks with sporadic wooden steps to help in your ascent.
    — Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026
  • The salmon’s season is fleeting, and sporadic.
    — Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 20 May 2026
  • Between all these forecasts, the chance of rain in the metro is low and sporadic today.
    — Natalie Wallington, Kansas City Star, 4 July 2024
  • But sporadic protests have been quickly suppressed.
    — Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2026
  • This is prime habitat for the plant, and where re-wilding has had sporadic success.
    — Ali Martin, The Christian Science Monitor, 16 Aug. 2023
  • While cases of the flu are currently sporadic, this could change.
    — Sujata Srinivasan, courant.com, 28 Dec. 2020
  • States are moving to re-open, even as testing for the virus is sporadic and lacking in scope.
    — Paul Daugherty, Cincinnati.com, 19 Apr. 2020
  • This year's monsoon was sporadic and the seventh-driest on record.
    — Hayleigh Evans, The Arizona Republic, 14 Nov. 2024
  • Flows are narcoleptic, drums are sporadic, and melodies are soft enough to live in a dollhouse.
    — Olivier Lafontant, Pitchfork, 27 Apr. 2026

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sporadic.' 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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