Idiom idiom
once in a while
Meaning
Occasionally; sometimes.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“I go for a walk once in a while.”
“Although I usually prefer coffee, I enjoy a cup of tea once in a while.”
“Even though they live in different countries, they manage to call each other once in a while to catch up on their lives.”
Anchors to
- 01
all at once
Unexpectedly; without warning; all of a sudden.
- 02
for this once
On this particular occasion, to make an exception
- 03
once again
Again, once more, one more time.
- 04
once and for all
Conclusively, finally, permanently.
- 05
once in a blue moon
Very rarely; very infrequently.
- 06
once or twice
A small, indefinite number of times.
Last updated August 10, 2026