once in a while
IdiomsExample Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“All kinds of trash you would see floating in the ocean—food wrappers, bottles, clothing. Once in a while, you would even see a piece of crap.”
From The Wall Street Journal • May 4, 2026
Once in a while, Jupiter's gravitational pull kicks these oddly shaped rocks toward the inner Solar System.
From Space Scoop • May 7, 2025
Once in a while, however, something stands out; my interest, personal as much as professional, is piqued.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 13, 2024
Once in a while, an article will pop up, and people will lose their mind over it.
From Salon • Sep. 6, 2024
Once in a while, a leaf would flutter down.
From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
