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.
Resetting the heart "is like switching a computer off and on again", he explains, adding that ICDs are "highly effective devices".
From BBC ● Jun. 8, 2026
I had used them off and on for years and I always lied.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 17, 2026
Both off and on the festival grounds, these brands host a series of parties, pop-ups and other VIP events that lavish celebrities, influencers and artists with premium experiences.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 10, 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
I slept off and on that day and night, and the following afternoon, Mamá drove me to Santa Maria County Hospital.
From "Breaking Through" by Francisco Jiménez
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.
