as in on and off
not constantly or steadily over a period of time
They've been dating off and on for almost a year.
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Recent Examples of off and on
Between and among cover projects such as Holy Ghost Building and Gimme a Kickstart, Michael Roe, Mark Harmon, and Bruce Spencer worked on it off and on for 13 years.
—
Spin Staff,
SPIN,
1 June 2026
Injuries limited him to 36 games last season and various ailments have dogged him off and on the past few years.
—
Greg Cote
may 25,
Miami Herald,
25 May 2026
If your Fingerling is not responding, try turning your pet off and on.
—
Bestreviews,
Mercury News,
15 May 2026
To toggle your new pet off and on, type /pet into the composer, then use Wake Pet or Tuck Away Pet in Settings > Appearance.
—
Will McCurdy,
PC Magazine,
3 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for off and on
Spin Staff,
SPIN,
1 June 2026
Injuries limited him to 36 games last season and various ailments have dogged him off and on the past few years.
—
Greg Cote
may 25,
Miami Herald,
25 May 2026
If your Fingerling is not responding, try turning your pet off and on.
—
Bestreviews,
Mercury News,
15 May 2026
To toggle your new pet off and on, type /pet into the composer, then use Wake Pet or Tuck Away Pet in Settings > Appearance.
—
Will McCurdy,
PC Magazine,
3 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for off and on
Recent Examples of Synonyms for off and on
Adverb
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Handley recommends adding a small amount to your compost pile sporadically, then adding this to your soil or as a mulch at the base of your plants.
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My 21-year-old child responds only sporadically to texts and phone calls, often going days or weeks without a response.
Adverb
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Roosevelt lived and ranched in North Dakota intermittently for about two years after the deaths of his wife and mother on the same day in 1884.
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Rosana Rodriguez, 33rd, whose office is in contact with Martinez-Sifontes’ family, said Albany Park has recently seen fewer ICE encounters than during earlier phases of Operation Midway Blitz, but said enforcement activity still surfaces intermittently.
Adverb
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Unlike conventional porous carbons, which interact only weakly with polysulfides, COFs possess periodically arranged pores whose dimensions, chemical environments, and electronic characteristics can be programmed by design.
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That passion was evident throughout the evening as supporters periodically broke into song.
Adverb
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Over three days in the downtown courtroom in June, a Times reporter observed how many immigrants were funneled into the courtroom in groups, and the judge rarely addressed them directly, typically calling up around five cases at a time.
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Some of these eye-popping rocks are so massive and expensive, they're rarely seen in public—but their owners serve up a rare glimpse now and then to remind the world that diamonds really are a girl’s best friend.
Adverb
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For the cover of the July 6 & 13, 2026, Body Issue, the cartoonist Edward Steed drew a foot, a body part that seldom gets our full attention.
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In fact, birds tend to fly within the height of the tree canopy that seldom reaches above 100 feet.
Cite this Entry
“Off and on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/off%20and%20on. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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