off and on

adverb

: with periodic cessation : intermittently
rained off and on all day
off-and-on adjective
They have an off-and-on relationship.
off-and-on work

Examples of off and on in a Sentence

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.
In fact, some version of it has worked here for about 126 years, off and on. Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 4 Apr. 2025 Canada was one of the last countries to pull out of the pandemic, and was on lockdown off and on for two years, much longer than the U.S. and other countries. David Moin, WWD, 24 Mar. 2025 Henry has acted off and on since his nomination, with credits including 1984's Sixteen Candles, two episodes of ER in 1997 and a 2010 episode of Brothers & Sisters, among other films and TV appearances. Diana Pearl, People.com, 2 Mar. 2025 The property has been logged off and on since the 1800s. Paul Rogers, The Mercury News, 11 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for off and on

Word History

First Known Use

1535, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of off and on was in 1535

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Cite this Entry

“Off and on.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/off%20and%20on. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.

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