in number
idiom
: in amount or quantity
Fish were once plentiful in this river, but they have since declined in number.
The protesters were few in number, but they were very loud.
Examples of in number in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Illinois led the nation in number of tornadoes in both 2023 and 2025 – a huge spike over our long-term average.
—
David Yeomans, CBS News, 6 Feb. 2026
SoFun wants to make succession challenges appealing to young business leaders, who are relatively few in number in Japan’s regional areas.
—Japan Contributor, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Not many fictional alien species get namechecked in number one records.
—Richard Edwards, Space.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Geographers and astronomers are also few in number.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for in number
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
David Yeomans, CBS News, 6 Feb. 2026
SoFun wants to make succession challenges appealing to young business leaders, who are relatively few in number in Japan’s regional areas.
—Japan Contributor, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Not many fictional alien species get namechecked in number one records.
—Richard Edwards, Space.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Geographers and astronomers are also few in number.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for in number
Cite this Entry
“In number.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in%20number. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
