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Synonyms

sometimes

American  
[suhm-tahymz] / ˈsʌmˌtaɪmz /

adverb

  1. on some occasions; at times; now and then.

sometimes British  
/ ˈsʌmˌtaɪmz /

adverb

  1. now and then; from time to time; occasionally

  2. obsolete formerly; sometime

"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

Etymology

Origin of sometimes

First recorded in 1520–30; sometime + -s 1

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.

"Sometimes you catch yourself being happy and you correct yourself, like you shouldn't be."

From Barron's • May 6, 2026

Sometimes lasting peace must be preceded by war.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026

Sometimes the forest greens turn red to emphasize extreme states of mind and signal hallucinations.

From Los Angeles Times • May 4, 2026

Sometimes when you're a new player and you maybe don't feel part of the group enough, you keep opinions to yourself in trying to help team-mates and stuff.

From BBC • May 2, 2026

Sometimes she went into the hall to her locker and was gone in the lavatory for a while, then came back.

From "Firegirl" by Tony Abbott

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.