fits and starts

1. To do something in “fits and starts” is to do it intermittently or sporadically: “Martina has been working on her master's thesis in fits and starts; she needs to work on it consistently.”

Example Sentences

She’s been living with the album for two years at this point, working in fits and starts around her commitments with the indie-pop supergroup Fizz.

From BBC

Audiences will wonder that for almost the entirety of “Folie à Deux,” which mostly flails in fits and starts until a tour-de-force sequence in which Arthur/Joker serves as his own lawyer.

From Los Angeles Times

Members of the group created what would become the new album in fits and starts while they were on the road, often coming up with arrangements in backstage green rooms at their shows or during down time.

From Los Angeles Times

The same thing has been happening, in fits and starts, in the Senate.

From Slate

Naomi Osaka’s comeback season has been pocked by fits and starts as she reacquaints herself with her athleticism and competitive fire.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• desultory
• fitful
• infrequent
• intermittent
• irregular
• isolated
• occasional
• random
• rare
• scattered
• spotty