as in gradually
by small steps or amounts
little by little, we pieced together the jigsaw puzzle
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Recent Examples of little by little
Between the 1950s and 1990s, South Africa faced a strong boycott movement that, little by little, turned it into a pariah.
—
Lauren Kent, CNN Money, 28 Sep. 2025
Diners can add the ingredients all at once or little by little—so the noodles don’t get soggy and the meat cooks just so.
—Bao Ong, Bon Appetit Magazine, 23 Sep. 2025
After the loss of her grandmother, cleaner Flora connects deeply with a teacher who, little by little, is becoming transparent.
—Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 19 Sep. 2025
Suddenly, little by little, the schedule completely went away, obviously.
—Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for little by little
Lauren Kent, CNN Money, 28 Sep. 2025
Diners can add the ingredients all at once or little by little—so the noodles don’t get soggy and the meat cooks just so.
—Bao Ong, Bon Appetit Magazine, 23 Sep. 2025
After the loss of her grandmother, cleaner Flora connects deeply with a teacher who, little by little, is becoming transparent.
—Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 19 Sep. 2025
Suddenly, little by little, the schedule completely went away, obviously.
—Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for little by little
Recent Examples of Synonyms for little by little
gradually
Adverb
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Although Fforme hasn’t previously toyed with color, Howie appeared to gradually incorporate some splashes of blues and greens among Fforme’s stock black and white designs.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
28 Oct. 2025
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As participants aged, their breakfast and dinner times gradually shifted later.—
Fran Kritz,
Health,
28 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Little by little.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/little%20by%20little. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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