1
as in occasional
lacking in steadiness or regularity of occurrence
sporadic loud noises kept startling everyone
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in infrequent
not often occurring or repeated
so long as the complaints remain sporadic, we're doing fine
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sporadic
These factions do not hold stable territory, but their sporadic resistance — from raids to armed standoffs — signals the first cracks in Hamas’s grip.
—
Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2025
Freeze’s scheme, however, has leaned too heavily on sporadic big plays and not enough on sustained drives — a formula that has left Auburn struggling in late-game situations.
—Zach Sweet, Kansas City Star, 17 Oct. 2025
The wave of store closures unleashed sporadic efforts over the intervening years to engineer new uses for the empty properties.
—George Avalos, Mercury News, 16 Oct. 2025
The leading edge of the storm will begin producing sporadic showers late Monday night, followed by the core of the system on Tuesday.
—Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sporadic
Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2025
Freeze’s scheme, however, has leaned too heavily on sporadic big plays and not enough on sustained drives — a formula that has left Auburn struggling in late-game situations.
—Zach Sweet, Kansas City Star, 17 Oct. 2025
The wave of store closures unleashed sporadic efforts over the intervening years to engineer new uses for the empty properties.
—George Avalos, Mercury News, 16 Oct. 2025
The leading edge of the storm will begin producing sporadic showers late Monday night, followed by the core of the system on Tuesday.
—Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sporadic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sporadic
Adjective
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There are occasional reminders that the Mafia lingers.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
25 Oct. 2025
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All the pieces seem to fit, producing a symphony of contact and occasional crescendo of slug.—
Ken Rosenthal,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Unlike other renewable sources of energy, which are intermittent, osmotic power runs 24 hours per day, independent of the weather.—
Tejasri Gururaj,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Oct. 2025
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Most areas along the western and northern lakeshore will see intermittent rain, though totals are lighter than the heaviest lake-effect bands farther north.—
Brandi D. Addison,
Freep.com,
23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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After weeks of erratic readings, Lewis reverted to the older G6 model and raised $25,000 on TikTok (@typeonederfulwells) to purchase a diabetes-alert service dog.—
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Oct. 2025
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However, Dern has struggled to wrestle with any consistency in the UFC, and her striking has been erratic, though she’s improved over seven years in the promotion.—
Brett Appley,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Most aneurysms are symptom-free, but sudden severe headaches or vision changes can signal a life-threatening rupture.—
Sohaib Imtiaz,
Health,
25 Oct. 2025
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Leave plenty of distance between you and the vehicle in front of you to account for sudden stops or changes in the traffic pattern.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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A-fib is an irregular, quivering or often rapid heart rhythm resulting from the heart’s upper chambers, the atria, beating out of sync with the lower chambers, the ventricles.—
Kristen Rogers,
CNN Money,
27 Oct. 2025
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Officials say these measures are aimed at discouraging irregular migration and securing the border, contributing to a notable decline in Border Patrol apprehensions compared with previous years.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sporadic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sporadic. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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