Synonyms
Examples of little by little in a Sentence
little by little, we pieced together the jigsaw puzzle
Recent Examples on the Web
Starting now, the scales will begin to balance out little by little.
—
Joe Reid, Vulture, 29 Nov. 2023
Wang’s testimony revealed how the fraud got bigger, little by little.
—Elizabeth Lopatto, The Verge, 26 Oct. 2023
Eventually, little by little—or as the Italians would say, piano, piano—Martin surrendered to the nature of her surroundings.
—Laura Neilson, Vogue, 17 Oct. 2023
Disney has increased tickets costs little by little every year since its inception, except for during the pandemic, one expert said.
—Khristopher J. Brooks, CBS News, 11 Oct. 2023
Finally, they'll be exposed little by little to their fear.
—Marisa Cohen, Parents, 18 Sep. 2023
Forget the Renaissance visuals—Beyoncé's focus seems to be on building her beauty empire little by little.
—Nerisha Penrose, ELLE, 19 July 2023
He’s remodeled the shop throughout the decades, adding on little by little.
—Shauna Stuart | Sstuart@al.com, al, 1 Sep. 2023
The song changed, little by little, with each suggestion, remaking the song in real time.
—Billboard Japan, Billboard, 31 Aug. 2023
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Joe Reid, Vulture, 29 Nov. 2023
Wang’s testimony revealed how the fraud got bigger, little by little.
—Elizabeth Lopatto, The Verge, 26 Oct. 2023
Eventually, little by little—or as the Italians would say, piano, piano—Martin surrendered to the nature of her surroundings.
—Laura Neilson, Vogue, 17 Oct. 2023
Disney has increased tickets costs little by little every year since its inception, except for during the pandemic, one expert said.
—Khristopher J. Brooks, CBS News, 11 Oct. 2023
Finally, they'll be exposed little by little to their fear.
—Marisa Cohen, Parents, 18 Sep. 2023
Forget the Renaissance visuals—Beyoncé's focus seems to be on building her beauty empire little by little.
—Nerisha Penrose, ELLE, 19 July 2023
He’s remodeled the shop throughout the decades, adding on little by little.
—Shauna Stuart | Sstuart@al.com, al, 1 Sep. 2023
The song changed, little by little, with each suggestion, remaking the song in real time.
—Billboard Japan, Billboard, 31 Aug. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'little by little.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
15th century, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of little by little was
in the 15th century
Dictionary Entries Near little by little
Cite this Entry
“Little by little.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/little%20by%20little. Accessed 11 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
little by little
adverb
: by small steps or amounts : gradually
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