sometimes

1 of 2

adverb

some·​times ˈsəm-ˌtīmz How to pronounce sometimes (audio)
also (ˌ)səm-ˈtīmz
Synonyms of sometimesnext
: at times : now and then : occasionally

sometimes

2 of 2

adjective

: sometime

Synonyms of sometimes

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Adverb

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of sometimes in a Sentence

Adverb His jokes are funny, but sometimes he goes too far. Sometimes I take the bus to work. We all make mistakes sometimes. She works nine hours a day, sometimes more than that. The word is sometimes used figuratively.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Adverb
While medical providers sometimes negotiate directly with patients before accounts reach collections, debt relief may become more useful if other unsecured debts are also creating financial hardship. — Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 30 July 2026 Projectile points embedded in mammoth bones show that Upper Palaeolithic (about 50,000 to 12,000 years ago) hunter-gatherers did sometimes directly hunt mammoths. — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 30 July 2026
Adjective
Sometimes students are grouped together based on skill level, and sometimes based on their interests, Lopez said. — Lee V. Gaines, chicagotribune.com, 30 June 2017 Sometimes disruption takes the form of alerting a person who is targeted for recruitment or influence by the foreign power. — Monique Judge, The Root, 8 June 2017 See All Example Sentences for sometimes

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1593, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sometimes was in the 14th century

Rhymes for sometimes

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Browse Nearby Words

some time ago
sometimes
someway
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sometimes.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sometimes. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

sometimes

adverb
some·​times
ˈsəm-ˌtīmz, 
(ˌ)səm-ˈtīmz
: at times : now and then : occasionally
speaks sometimes very fast

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