once in a while
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(every) once in a while
Occasionally; sometimes. I don't travel often, but every once in a while I just need to get away from the city. My mom has sweets once in a while but mostly eats only healthy foods. Josh does stop by the store every once in a while, but I haven't seen him lately.
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once in a while
Occasionally, not very often, as in Once in a while I enjoy going fishing. [Mid-1800s] Also see every now and then; from time to time.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
once (or every once) in a while
from time to time; occasionally. 1989 Annie Dillard The Writing Life Every once in a while Rahm saw a peephole in the clouds and buzzed over for a look.
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(every) ˌonce in a ˈwhile
occasionally: We go to the theatre once in a while, but there’s not much worth seeing. OPPOSITE: all the timeFarlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017