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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Grace Daniel has dealt with homelessness off and on for years.—
Jonathan M. Pitts,
Baltimore Sun,
6 Jan. 2025 -
Bell also flexed into the backfield as a fullback, something Van Pelt has experimented with off and on.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
3 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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More often, the broad sweep of history serves as recurrent inspiration for designers, such as Italian Renaissance paintings for Maria Grazia Chiuri at Christian Dior, Medieval tapestries for Dries van Noten, or 18th-century delicacies evoked by John Galliano and Christian Louboutin.—
Lisa Klaassen and Serene Nourrisson,
CNN,
26 Jan. 2025
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Its recurrent vanity is that its heroes stood alone.—
Benjamin Wallace-Wells,
The New Yorker,
23 Jan. 2025
Adverb
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But aside from the sporadically interesting anecdote or observation, most of the talking head discussion don’t illuminate what isn’t already plain to see.—
Vikram Murthi,
IndieWire,
24 Jan. 2025
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For years, the list of foods in the thrifty plan was updated only sporadically.—
Matthew Yglesias,
The Mercury News,
23 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Anxiety about pocketbook issues, however, formed a recurring and persistent theme.—
David Lauter,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Sep. 2024
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The company has bolstered its software and securities business to diversify and bring in more recurring subscription revenue.—
Ari Levy,
CNBC,
14 Aug. 2024
Adjective
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The man said that Laura has grown increasingly frustrated with the periodic disruptions caused by Ella's biological mother.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
Newsweek,
20 Jan. 2025
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The goal is to make the car a platform with with periodic improvements in autonomy, infotainment and customer experience features, similar to a smart-phone model but with a safety focus, critical for cars moving at high speeds in cluttered environments.—
Sabbir Rangwala,
Forbes,
20 Jan. 2025
Adverb
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Listen to this article Homeowners and HOAs periodically face major construction contracts for renovation or repairs, particularly after a disaster.—
Kelly G. Richardson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Jan. 2025
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The answer so far has been an odd mix of avoiding doom scrolling and periodically checking in to rail against injustice, but the myriad reactions have delivered the same result: misinformation.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
24 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Battery experts would expect the intermittent pulses of charge, which have a higher C-rate than continuous charging models, to age batteries faster than standard procedures do.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
29 Jan. 2025
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This intermittent series of eruptions began on Dec. 23, 2024, said the agency.—
Megan Forrester,
ABC News,
28 Jan. 2025
Adverb
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Since then, they could only be glimpsed occasionally on the zoo's social media feed (including rolling around in the flurries during a snowstorm earlier this month).—
Rachel Treisman,
NPR,
24 Jan. 2025
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Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 6 minutes.—
Yvette Zuniga Jemison,
Southern Living,
24 Jan. 2025
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Thesaurus Entries Near on and off
Cite this Entry
“On and off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/on%20and%20off. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.
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