on and off 1 of 2

adverb

Definition of on and offnext
as in off and on
not constantly or steadily over a period of time It's been raining on and off all afternoon.

Related Words

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Dissimilar Words

on-and-off

2 of 2

adjective

as in recurrent
occurring or appearing at intervals an on-and-off friendship over the years

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of on and off
Adjective
Her on-and-off boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, and his brother Zach Hickerson were at the home. — ABC News, 28 Oct. 2026 After nearly five years together, the pair officially ended their on-and-off relationship in November 2024. — Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 27 Oct. 2026 The flooding is just the latest episode in two months of on-and-off heavy rain in the region caused by tropical moisture coming ashore from the Pacific. — Anna Wilder, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2026 After two days of on-and-off showers that Central California has not seen months, the rain is coming to a close as of Friday morning. — Sean MacAday, Sacbee.com, 23 Oct. 2026 Not heralded as returning are Adam Driver (who played Hannah’s on-and-off actor boyfriend Adam) and former co-showrunner Jenni Konner (with whom Dunham had a creative breakup after the show ended). — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 13 Oct. 2026 Not mentioned in the returning cast is Adam Driver, who played Hannah’s (Dunham) on-and-off boyfriend in the series. — Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 13 Oct. 2026 Adam Driver, who starred as Hannah’s on-and-off love interest Adam, and co-showrunner and executive producer Jenni Konner. — Selome Hailu, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026 James Hager arrived at Lopez’s Palm Drive home in Key Largo to stop him from beating his on-and-off-again girlfriend, according to Lopez’s arrest report. — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 12 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for on and off
  1. off and on
  2. recurrent
  3. sporadically
  4. recurring
  5. intermittently
  6. periodic
  7. periodically
  8. intermittent
Adverb
  • The band continued off and on over the following years, with Sara Surkamp joining on acoustic guitar and vocals in 2006.
    — Jem Aswad, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
  • One man records himself using the claws to screw bottle lids off and on.
    — Diaa Hadid, NPR, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of off and on
Adjective
  • But the 2026 study found that only 15% of women diagnosed with recurrent UTIs showed evidence of problems limited to the bladder or urinary tract.
    — Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 19 Oct. 2026
  • What’s happening A 2026 study published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine reviewed the medical records of 253 women diagnosed with recurrent UTIs.
    — Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of recurrent
Adverb
  • Officers used tear gas as tensions flared sporadically in the neighborhood, with small groups of people trying to set bicycles and trash bins on fire.
    — SYLVIE CORBET, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Tyson Familiar and visually uninspired, yet still sporadically captivating.
    — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of sporadically
Adjective
  • How Recurring Revenue Is The Pump There’s only one kind of funding that reliably shows up in year seven—recurring, unrestricted revenue.
    — Sarah Evans, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Excluding non-recurring events, the magnitude of the average S & P 500 earnings surprise for the quarter is still about 11%.
    — Sarah Min, CNBC, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of recurring
Adverb
  • In 2024, Tony Hout joined the vaccine trial at MD Anderson after seeking care for a spot on his ear that had been bleeding intermittently and wouldn’t fully heal.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The administration has also intermittently pressured Ukraine to cave in its war of survival against Russian aggression.
    — Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Foreign Affairs, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of intermittently
Adjective
  • The Finnish firm Posiva will also need to submit periodic safety assessments every decade.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 23 Oct. 2026
  • That restraint, even if disrupted by periodic rounds of fighting with Hamas, endeared Netanyahu to mainstream Israelis, who could pretend that the conflict was a thing of the past and all but forget about the Palestinians.
    — Aluf Benn, Foreign Affairs, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of periodic
Adverb
  • Inspect the cords on appliances such as toasters, blenders, coffee makers, and electric kettles periodically.
    — Lynn Andriani, Martha Stewart, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Antalya and other locations along the Mediterranean coast periodically experience tornadoes, although deadly incidents are rare.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of periodically
Adjective
  • In the case of intermittent signals, the culprit might never be found.
    — IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Younger generations’ exposure to social media content promoting GLP-1 microdosing or intermittent or sporadic use of the medications may influence these behaviors, too, Albaugh adds.
    — Anna L. Goldman, EverydayHealth.com, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of intermittent

Browse Nearby Words

on all hands
on and off
on-and-off
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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 31 Oct. 2026.

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