little by little

adverb

: by small degrees or amounts : gradually

Examples of little by little in a Sentence

little by little, we pieced together the jigsaw puzzle
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The Padres on Sunday battled back little by little, got even in the top of the eighth inning, and then ran into the same old L.A. story. Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Aug. 2025 So little by little, the feelings, the emotions, are left aside to focus on the answers, the quest, action. Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 5 Aug. 2025 Many of those problems have persisted, but little by little, foldables have gotten better. ArsTechnica, 31 July 2025 Before adopting dynamic pricing, the organization was changing prices seasonally and increasing entry rates little by little. Harriet Baskas, NBC news, 14 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for little by little

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Little by little.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/little%20by%20little. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.

Kids Definition

little by little

adverb
: by small steps or amounts : gradually
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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