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.

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for on and off
  1. off and on
  2. recurrent
  3. sporadically
  4. recurring
  5. periodic
  6. periodically
  7. intermittent
  8. occasionally
Adverb
  • Yet for busy business travelers or families looking to catch their breath after bracing crowded TSA lines and taking their shoes off and on, the facilities meet basic needs.
    — Vinod Sreeharsha, Miami Herald, 20 Mar. 2025
  • He’s worked on the Oscars off and on since 1989, the year of the infamous Rob Lowe-Snow White … whatever the hell that was.
    — Maer Roshan, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Feb. 2025
Definition of off and on
Adjective
  • Abrupt reductions in aid will put millions more children at risk In the past 25 years, the number of stunted children — kids whose growth has been impaired by a chronic or recurrent lack of nutritious food — has decreased by 55 million, or one-third.
    — Sarah Ferguson, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025
  • Concerns about antibiotic resistance have largely been allayed in recent years by clinical practices that reduce the risk, even among people with recurrent UTIs.
    — Cordelia Nwankwo, Verywell Health, 24 Mar. 2025
Definition of recurrent
Adverb
  • Johns takes another early round loss, and seems content to play singles only sporadically in 2025.
    — Todd Boss, Forbes, 10 Mar. 2025
  • After that, it was used sporadically over the years for an array of warehouse operations.
    — George Avalos, The Mercury News, 14 Feb. 2025
Definition of sporadically
Adjective
  • Dobson says the research is coming now that the power engineering community increasingly recognizes cascading failures as a distinct and recurring problem—a concept that still elicited protests from power engineers in the aftermath of the 2003 blackout.
    — IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 14 Aug. 2013
  • The strange makeup of recurring dreams Research has found that most recurring dreams have a negative tone with themes often related to helplessness, failure, or being chased.
    — Stacey Colino, TIME, 4 Mar. 2025
Definition of recurring
Adjective
  • And in spite of market turbulence caused by Mr. Trump's tariff threats, some experts think stocks are likely to gain strength in the months to come, although not without periodic bouts of volatility.
    — Alain Sherter, CBS News, 19 Mar. 2025
  • Conducting periodic retrospectives, creating an iterative feedback loop with stakeholders, and breaking down your strategy into manageable, agile pieces all helps to maintain alignment and enable progression toward business-objective achievement.
    — Forrester, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025
Definition of periodic
Adverb
  • The Department of Education’s National Assessment of Educational Progress periodically evaluates 12th-grade students in a variety of subjects.
    — Richard Lorenc, Twin Cities, 16 Mar. 2025
  • Disclaimer: Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
    — Mark Davis, Newsweek, 16 Mar. 2025
Definition of periodically
Adjective
  • Roughly 164 were returned to non-pay intermittent status, while the rest were returned to paid administrative leave.
    — Ashley Murray, Baltimore Sun, 19 Mar. 2025
  • The 2025 season opener in Australia was an intense race for all F1 teams considering the intermittent rainfall that led them to shift tire strategies according to the varying conditions.
    — Mark Davis, Newsweek, 16 Mar. 2025
Definition of intermittent
Adverb
  • Cassell occasionally brings this discourse to life as a panel host and guest.
    — Cassell Ferere, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2025
  • Highlight: Some guests have remarked on the magical family of deer that occasionally wanders by the house.
    — Elise Taylor, Vogue, 22 Mar. 2025
Definition of occasionally
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.

Browse Nearby Words

on-and-off
on and off
on an even keel
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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 1 Apr. 2025.

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