as in slowly
by small steps or amounts
gradually worked his way down the class roster add the sugar to the beaten egg whites gradually to make the meringue
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Recent Examples of gradually
Maddie—baggy hoodies tossed over an array of old tattoos, clearly carrying a heavy amount of life for her 28 years—gradually attempts to fill her daughter in on her own youth, treading a tightrope between honesty and delicacy.
—
Sara Holdren, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2025
The algorithm mathematically models how certain information spreads rapidly and is gradually forgotten.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 30 Sep. 2025
October 22 to 25 is expected to be sunny and cool, followed by October 26 to 31, when isolated showers are forecast, with temperatures gradually warming up.
—Joe Edwards, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Sep. 2025
The proposal relies on these forces to handle security as the Israeli military gradually withdraws from Gaza.
—Oren Liebermann, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2025
Emotional wellness has gradually emerged across social media, serving as a daily source of solace for many young people.
—Footwear News, 29 Sep. 2025
Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said Giolito’s elbow issue came on gradually.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 29 Sep. 2025
Playing on a mostly bare stage over which an arched bridge bares witness to all, Harrison (Daisy Jones and the Six, A Complete Unknown) convincingly morphs from dangerous, out-of-control terror to hollowed-out shell and, finally, a man who only gradually begins to take responsibility for himself.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 29 Sep. 2025
Ease off the accelerator gradually and avoid abrupt braking to prevent skidding.
—Southern California Weather Report, Oc Register, 29 Sep. 2025
Sara Holdren, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2025
The algorithm mathematically models how certain information spreads rapidly and is gradually forgotten.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 30 Sep. 2025
October 22 to 25 is expected to be sunny and cool, followed by October 26 to 31, when isolated showers are forecast, with temperatures gradually warming up.
—Joe Edwards, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Sep. 2025
The proposal relies on these forces to handle security as the Israeli military gradually withdraws from Gaza.
—Oren Liebermann, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2025
Emotional wellness has gradually emerged across social media, serving as a daily source of solace for many young people.
—Footwear News, 29 Sep. 2025
Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said Giolito’s elbow issue came on gradually.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 29 Sep. 2025
Playing on a mostly bare stage over which an arched bridge bares witness to all, Harrison (Daisy Jones and the Six, A Complete Unknown) convincingly morphs from dangerous, out-of-control terror to hollowed-out shell and, finally, a man who only gradually begins to take responsibility for himself.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 29 Sep. 2025
Ease off the accelerator gradually and avoid abrupt braking to prevent skidding.
—Southern California Weather Report, Oc Register, 29 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gradually
Adverb
-
Hughes and others began resisting orders in passive ways, showing up late or taking patrols extra slowly.—
Michael Loria,
USA Today,
4 Oct. 2025
-
This rift causes the black hole to slowly evaporate.—
Dipangkar Dutta,
The Conversation,
3 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
Matter clumped and clustered together under the relentless pull of gravity, and structures grew and grew on progressively larger scales.—
Ethan Siegel,
Big Think,
3 Oct. 2025
-
The non-users had higher negative symptoms at the start, but these improved progressively over a six-month period.—
Angelica Stabile,
FOXNews.com,
2 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gradually.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gradually. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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