on purpose

Idioms  

1. Deliberately, intentionally, as in He left the photo out of the story on purpose . Shakespeare's use of this idiom was among the earliest; it appears in The Comedy of Errors (4:3): “On purpose shut the doors against his way.”

2. accidentally on purpose . Seemingly accidentally but actually deliberately, as in She stepped on his foot accidentally on purpose . This generally jocular phrase was first recorded in 1862.

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Example Sentences

The comedic overkill of the insult is on purpose.

From Los Angeles Times

Their insatiable demand is snarling up a supply chain kept tight on purpose by chipmakers who are keen to avoid price drops that dent profits, experts say.

From Barron's

The yips got so bad that she would occasionally miss putts by 20 feet on purpose because she knew she had no chance if she left them too close to the hole.

From The Wall Street Journal

Baseball has dealt with “spot-fixing,” where a pitcher might throw a single ball on purpose instead of a strike.

From The Wall Street Journal

Wills can be destroyed or mislaid, accidentally on purpose; beneficiary designations are the purview of the financial institution in question.

From MarketWatch