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Synonyms

on-off

British  

adjective

  1. (of an electrical switch, button, etc) having an `on' position and an `off' position

  2. existing at times and not at others; discontinuous

    an on-off relationship
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

He would fly his team to dinner at the New York Yacht Club on off days and bring them to Newport to see him sail in America’s Cup.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026

"I've got a lot of other things going on off the court but there's no feeling like this."

From Barron's • Jan. 13, 2026

But thermoelectric devices can be easily switched on off.

From BBC • May 19, 2025

Burns sends Marshall internet memes about hydration on off days, the senior said, making her laugh but also focused on the prize as the Big Ten season moves onward and the long trips continue.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 19, 2025

Starks and Janie moved on off in the direction indicated with Hicks and Coker boring into their backs with looks.

From "Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston

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.