by the numbers

phrase

1

: in unison to a specific count or cadence

2

: in a systematic, routine, or mechanical manner

a program run not by the numbers but with concern for the participants

Examples of by the numbers in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

And sure enough, their 2-2 draw on Saturday was, by the numbers at least, the most frenetic game of the season so far. — Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026

Jeep Recon by the numbers The Recon is a five-passenger midsize SUV. — Mark Phelan, Freep.com, 9 Sep. 2026

Campus discipline by the numbers Last year, city and county prosecutors declined to charge all but two of the nearly 350 people arrested at UCLA and USC pro-Palestinian protests. — Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026

Over the last 15 years, venture capital’s gotten bigger by the numbers, and louder by pretty much any metric. — Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1918, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for by the numbers

• slumbers