every now and then

Idioms  

1. Also, every now and again; every once in a while; every so often. Occasionally, from time to time; also, periodically. For example, Every now and then I long for a piece of chocolate, or We take long walks every now and again, or Every once in a while he'll call, or Every so often she washes the car. The first term dates from the first half of the 1700s, the last from the mid-1900s. Also see from time to time; once in a while.

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Example Sentences

He says he went from being a teenager who used steroid creams to manage his eczema "every now and then", to experiencing such horrific symptoms he had to drop out of university.

From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026

He wouldn’t mind them popping up every now and then on the Samsung smart fridge at his home in Roseville, Calif. A promotion for a product he needs, he adds, might even feel useful.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026

They were mostly kept open, but every now and then they were closed for a military exercise.

From Salon • Dec. 7, 2025

“It’s been cruising along for a while, magnificently, and every now and then, the market just slams the brakes to make sure the passengers are still awake.”

From MarketWatch • Oct. 21, 2025

“And see, doing it on purpose every now and then helped us today—my dad didn’t really even ask why the system needed to be stopped. He just thought it was me making trouble again.”

From "Among the Hidden" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Related Words

• every so often
• now and again
• now and then