fits and starts

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

It's hard to get momentum when only appearing in fits and starts, but he did a decent job overall.

From BBC

Negotiations over an end to the war, which would see Israel end hostilities in exchange for Hamas releasing the hostages, have seen fits and starts since the Biden administration.

From Los Angeles Times

The pandemic reminded us of this in fits and starts.

From Salon

Ultimately, the job gets done, but not without an assortment of comedic fits and starts.

From Los Angeles Times

Box-office revenue improved in fits and starts as the pandemic waned, though the number of films released was greatly affected by the dual writers and actors strikes in 2023.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• desultory 
• fitful 
• infrequent 
• intermittent 
• irregular 
• isolated 
• occasional 
• random 
• rare 
• scattered 
• spotty