one by one

idiom

: separately in a series : one at a time : first one and then another one, etc.
I solved the problems one by one.
The performers took the stage one by one.

Examples of one by one in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The industry expanded in phases as legacy media companies got into the business one by one. Adil Rashid, WIRED, 28 Nov. 2023 The Starship depot will linger in low-Earth orbit as tankers arrive one by one. Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 17 Nov. 2023 That would be the one who wears a John Carver mask, dresses like a pilgrim, and is picking off people who were shopping that night, one by one. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 17 Nov. 2023 This time, the effort to force confirmation of military nominees was led by Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine, who over the course of more than an hour, asked the Senate to unanimously confirm each nominee one by one, only to be blocked each time by Tuberville. Allison Pecorin, ABC News, 10 Nov. 2023 As two or more players continue to pull noodles one by one, Yeti gets precariously closer to falling into the bowl. Dorian Smith-Garcia, Parents, 8 Nov. 2023 Kelly Clarkson introduced the stars one by one, the talk show host pinning their looks as participants in one of her own infamous karaoke segments. Dave Quinn, Peoplemag, 31 Oct. 2023 Three days after the assault, with Israeli air strikes raining down on Gaza, and Palestinians paying for Hamas' actions with their lives, the militants threatened to start killing the hostages, one by one, every time Israel bombed Palestinian civilians without warning. CBS News, 29 Oct. 2023 What follows is a surreal spin into madness, wherein the friends are eaten alive by the (missing) aunt’s home one by one. Caitlin Morton, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Oct. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'one by one.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Dictionary Entries Near one by one

Cite this Entry

“One by one.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/one%20by%20one. Accessed 3 Dec. 2023.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!