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Synonyms

fits and starts

Cultural  

  1. To do something in “fits and starts” is to do it intermittently or sporadically: “Martina has been working on her master's thesis in fits and starts; she needs to work on it consistently.”

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

SpaceX’s Starship vehicle has had its fits and starts during flight tests last year.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 19, 2026

There have been fits and starts of ambitious defense measures.

From Barron's ● Apr. 13, 2026

The affordability tour has only happened in fits and starts, however, and the president has not always stuck to the script.

From BBC ● Feb. 24, 2026

Breaks in the case have come and fits and starts.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 18, 2026

The information and misinformation comes in fits and starts.

From "Love, Hate & Other Filters" by Samira Ahmed

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.

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