off and on
Idioms-
Also, on and off.
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Intermittently, from time to time. For example, I read his column off and on , or We've been working on the garden all summer, on and off . [Early 1500s]
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Also, off again, on again ; on again, off again . Uncertain, vacillating, as in Theirs is an off again, on again relationship , or The peace talks are on again, off again . Some believe this term originally referred to minor railroad accidents, where a train went off track and then on again. [Mid-1800s]
Vocabulary lists containing off-and-on
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.
"I like her attitude off and on court. Off court, she is really humble. There are a lot of kids like me who look up to her."
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026
I had used them off and on for years and I always lied.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 17, 2026
Colicchio started playing the guitar at 10, returning to it off and on through his 20s.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 30, 2026
In the end, switching the steering wheel and turning the car off and on again did it, and Russell just made it out for a final lap.
From BBC ● Mar. 14, 2026
Emma kept her grief private, but she would struggle with depression off and on for the rest of her life.
From "Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith" by Deborah Heiligman
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.
