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Synonyms

once in a while

Idioms  

  1. Occasionally, not very often, as in Once in a while I enjoy going fishing. [Mid-1800s] Also see every now and then; from time to time.

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, we review our past stock picks.

From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026

“Every once in a while we get in there and let it rip,” said James, “but I am not very good.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

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

From BBC • Feb. 14, 2026

“Something that you can do once in a while is better than getting yourself stuck into a recurring cycle of just adding more fees to your budget every month,” Saunders said.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 12, 2026

Every once in a while Festus the figurehead creaked and squeaked through the speakers, reporting the autopilot status in that weird machine language that only Leo could understand.

From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan

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.