by numbers

idiom

: in a way that follows the rules or instructions but that is not interesting or original

Dancing by numbers isn't good enough. You have to really feel the music.

Examples of by numbers in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

These maps show you which towns had the most winners, (for prizes of more than $599) by numbers of games won, total won and average amount won, using CT Lottery data. —Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 15 Feb. 2024

According to British lingerie brand Katherine Hamilton, the band size refers to the size of your rib cage and is represented by numbers (32, 34, 36, etc.). —Bebe Hodges, USA TODAY, 28 Apr. 2024

Publicly available polling shows Lake trailing Gallego, sometimes by numbers outside the margin of error. —Ronald J. Hansen, The Arizona Republic, 6 June 2024

Jurors are identified by numbers, are not allowed to be photographed or recorded, and only lawyers have access to their names. —Andrea Bernstein, NPR, 30 May 2024