once in a while

Register · Neutral Neutral — appropriate in most situations, both spoken and written, without sounding too casual or too stiff. CEFR B1

Post

Example

“We eat at a restaurant once in a while as a special treat.”

Dictionary details

Tags

Expressions connected by reviewed component words or topic tags.

as a rule Neutral · CEFR B1

usually or in most situations

bright and early Neutral · CEFR A2

at the very start of the morning

early bird Neutral · CEFR A2

someone who prefers beginning the day before most other people

hang on a minute Informal · CEFR A2

used to ask someone to wait, or to express surprise or objection

so far so good Informal · CEFR A2

used to say that things have gone well up to now

at the end of the day Informal · CEFR B1

ultimately; when everything is considered

Source methodology

Meanings, register, CEFR, and examples come from the reviewed dictionary record. Expression notes may describe a reviewed present-day word picture or a background note; they are not presented as verified etymology.

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