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
Good for Brooks, who became the heart and soul of the team last season because of his on-and-off the court leadership and gritty play. — Barry M. Bloom, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2026 Their on-and-off relationship continued after both entered the WNBA, with fans following the couple through social media posts, vacations and courtside appearances. — Jackson Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 12 Aug. 2026 Braxton and the 57-year-old rapper were engaged toward the end of the 2010s and on-and-off in the ensuing years, only to get back together in late 2023. — Jami Ganz, New York Daily News, 7 Aug. 2026 She’s previously dated in the public eye Prior to meeting Mendes, Marquezine was in an on-and-off relationship with Brazilian soccer star Neymar from 2013 until 2018, per E! — Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 6 Aug. 2026 Lollapalooza attendees were met with on-and-off sprinkling all day but about 45 minutes into the Smashing Pumpkins' set, a consistent enough rainfall led fans to pull on ponchos, with some even leaving early. — Greta Cross, USA Today, 1 Aug. 2026 Since the 1920s, populations have shown signs of decline on-and-off. — Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2026 Styles and Swift dated on-and-off until 2013, when their breakup inspired several songs on Swift’s 1989. — Kathleen Perricone, Entertainment Weekly, 8 July 2026 An economist at advisory firm Oxford Economics said the ceasefire probably would continue to be on-and-off and Washington and Tehran could still deescalate the latest tensions instead of returning to war. — ABC News, 8 July 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 character was originated in 2009 by Nathan Dean, who played him off and on through 2020, and returned in April for a three-month stint on the soap.
    — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Robertson Property Group has been conducting renovations in the theater off and on for the past several years, but there is currently no prospective opening date.
    — Pat Saperstein, Variety, 21 July 2026
Definition of off and on
Adjective
  • His new marrow engrafted quickly, and aside from some recurrent adenovirus, his recovery went remarkably well.
    — Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Joan Baez, yet another famous fan, emerges as one of the diary’s recurrent characters, and a kind of guiding spirit for this metamorphosis.
    — Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of recurrent
Adverb
  • In addition to sporadically continuing her acting career in titles like The Last Song, LOL and Black Mirror, Cyrus has mostly pivoted to music.
    — Giovana Gelhoren, InStyle, 15 Aug. 2026
  • But Rydell preferred to direct, if somewhat sporadically, and to produce, forming a partnership with Sydney Pollock in the mid-1980s, Sanford Prods.
    — Carmel Dagan, Variety, 14 Aug. 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
  • Swallows—the country's most beloved and recognizable birds—darted past intermittently, a subtle but very real reminder of our location on this special stretch of the Algarve.
    — Megan Wilkes, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Khat is typically chewed like tobacco, with individuals retaining it in the cheek and chewing intermittently to release the active drug, which then produces stimulant-like effects.
    — Bryan Lynn, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of intermittently
Adjective
  • Real-time tracking cuts costly checks Nuclear facilities currently rely on a combination of instruments, physical security measures, manual sampling and periodic shutdowns to determine how much nuclear material is present and where it is located.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 18 Aug. 2026
  • While Western intelligence agencies have debated periodic reports of Iranian scientists attending North Korean nuclear tests, Pyongyang’s willingness to proliferate nuclear infrastructure elsewhere is beyond doubt.
    — Charlie Campbell, Time, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of periodic
Adverb
  • And though some of these accessible murals, primarily located in South and West Side neighborhoods, continue to be periodically restored, other street masterpieces are endangered due to funding pressures, neglect and potential redevelopment.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Maybe…by jumping into a shiny glowing globule that appears periodically.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of periodically
Adjective
  • In Iraq, the United States inflicted a dozen years of punishing sanctions, intermittent bombing, and failed regime change and counterproliferation efforts, followed by the disastrous 2003 invasion and occupation, all at tremendous human cost.
    — MARC LYNCH, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Then came even more emotion, with intermittent pauses to cry.
    — Cam Inman, Mercury News, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of intermittent

Browse Nearby Words

on all hands
on and off
on-and-off
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“On and off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/on%20and%20off. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

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