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Synonyms

in a while

Idioms  

  1. Also, after a while. After a period of time, usually a moderately short time. For example, Go ahead, I'll be along in a while, or After a while we turned off the television and went for a walk. [c. 1300]

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.

Every once in a while she will run across an item or article asking the question: “Whatever happened to Jane Kaczmarek?”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

About two weeks after the start of the Iran war, Dow Chief Executive Jim Fitterling told investors something they hadn’t heard in a while about one of the company’s most important products.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026

Every once in a while, we review our past stock picks.

From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026

"A hug never goes amiss either. A decent cwtch once in a while helps a treat."

From BBC • Feb. 14, 2026

Every once in a while, I noticed Mara nudge a tool into the open satchel with her foot when Smithy wasn’t looking.

From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri

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.