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
-
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
-
Hardly any sleep, eating sporadically, always a wary eye on the weather, but in this case you’re surrounded by water with nobody around for possibly hundreds of miles.—
George Allen,
Robb Report,
15 Jan. 2025
-
While snowfall has been below average for the season, lake-effect snow could sporadically affect parts of northern Illinois, potentially reducing visibility during commutes.—
Michael Gfoeller And David H. Rundell,
Newsweek,
14 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
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 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
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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
Adverb
-
Long ago, Southern California’s scrub-forest ecosystems would periodically burn, limiting fuel for future fires.—
Justin Angle,
The Conversation,
16 Jan. 2025
-
Since that time, attempts to overturn Wong Kim Ark have arisen periodically.—
Rachel E. Rosenbloom / Made by History,
TIME,
15 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Situated only a hefty clearance from the Manchester Ship Canal, the ground, complete with a two-storey clubhouse, 250-seat stand and even a commentators’ box, has since had intermittent use from various Sunday League sides and most recently an under-18s team managed by YouTuber ‘Angry Ginge’.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
The Athletic,
17 Jan. 2025
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Such moments of creative exhilaration were intermittent adornments of a diffuse slog.—
Richard Brody,
The New Yorker,
17 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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But releases must go on, albeit with occasionally altered circumstances.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
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 30 Jan. 2025.
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