1. to work in short, sudden bursts of activity rather than continuously or steadily; to alternate between periods of intense work and inactivity
He works in spurts, sometimes productive for hours and then taking long breaks.
Ele trabalha aos solavancos, às vezes produtivo por horas e depois tirando pausas longas.
2. to have an inconsistent work pattern characterized by intermittent effort
The student works in spurts during exam season rather than studying consistently.
O aluno trabalha aos solavancos durante a época de exames em vez de estudar consistentemente.