little by little

adverb

: by small degrees or amounts : gradually

Synonyms of little by little

• gradually
• bit by bit
• by degrees

Examples of little by little in a Sentence

little by little, we pieced together the jigsaw puzzle

Recent Examples on the Web

But little by little, the habit consumed him. —Mckay Coppins, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2026

All night, the fog had stubbornly hidden the stars in the dark, impenetrable sky, but now the sliver of light widened little by little into a luminous band, a hazy phosphorescence that slowly spread and took over. —Literary Hub, 22 Jan. 2026

How about an effort to regularly clean up and maintain the area, starting with the City Administration Building and the surrounding (nonexistent) landscaping, then fixing up more sections little by little? —U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Jan. 2026

But really, state by state, little by little, a lot of people are starting to say, this is the way millions of people are making money on their own terms and doing it in a way that really works for them. —Fortune Editors, Fortune, 31 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for little by little

• noncommittal
• prehospital
• acquittal
• belittle
• committal
• hospital
• submittal
• transmittal
• brittle
• kittel
• kittle
• spital

Kids Definition

little by little

adverb

: by small steps or amounts : gradually