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
But Roto-Rooter has gradually repurchased most of its old franchisees and expanded its service business.
—
Alexander Coolidge, Cincinnati Enquirer, 7 Jan. 2026
Wednesday will be mostly cloudy before gradually becoming more sunny.
—Garfield Hylton, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Jan. 2026
When next year came, Rice was in the NBA, and gradually the players drifted separate ways.
—Seth Emerson, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
Ease off the accelerator gradually and avoid abrupt braking to prevent skidding.
—Bay Area Weather Report, Mercury News, 7 Jan. 2026
Then by Friday, cold temperatures arrive as more snow falls across the state, gradually clearing from North to South by Friday evening.
—Alex Lehnert, CBS News, 7 Jan. 2026
The strands just brush her brows in the center and gradually lengthen towards the sides to blend in with the rest of her hair.
—María Munsuri, Glamour, 6 Jan. 2026
In Brazil, Lula asked his ministries to prepare guidelines for developing a road map for gradually reducing Brazil’s dependency on fossil fuels and find a way to financially support the changes.
—Jennifer Morgan, The Conversation, 6 Jan. 2026
Their friendship gradually turned into a romance, and in November 2007, the couple married at an organic produce farm in Arizona.
—Ilana Frost, PEOPLE, 6 Jan. 2026
Alexander Coolidge, Cincinnati Enquirer, 7 Jan. 2026
Wednesday will be mostly cloudy before gradually becoming more sunny.
—Garfield Hylton, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Jan. 2026
When next year came, Rice was in the NBA, and gradually the players drifted separate ways.
—Seth Emerson, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
Ease off the accelerator gradually and avoid abrupt braking to prevent skidding.
—Bay Area Weather Report, Mercury News, 7 Jan. 2026
Then by Friday, cold temperatures arrive as more snow falls across the state, gradually clearing from North to South by Friday evening.
—Alex Lehnert, CBS News, 7 Jan. 2026
The strands just brush her brows in the center and gradually lengthen towards the sides to blend in with the rest of her hair.
—María Munsuri, Glamour, 6 Jan. 2026
In Brazil, Lula asked his ministries to prepare guidelines for developing a road map for gradually reducing Brazil’s dependency on fossil fuels and find a way to financially support the changes.
—Jennifer Morgan, The Conversation, 6 Jan. 2026
Their friendship gradually turned into a romance, and in November 2007, the couple married at an organic produce farm in Arizona.
—Ilana Frost, PEOPLE, 6 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gradually
Adverb
-
When making the icing, make sure to add the cherry juice slowly.—
Heather Riske,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 Jan. 2026
-
Annual land and sea surface temperature anomalies each year compared to the 20th century average show ocean temperatures respond more slowly but are also rising.—
Gary W. Yohe,
The Conversation,
10 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
The game is feeling progressively more rigged right now.—
Chris Gethard,
Vulture,
9 Jan. 2026
-
That meant hiring personal trainers, changing our diet, and planning progressively more difficult training hikes and backpacking trips every week leading up to our elopement.—
Ashlyn Robinette,
PEOPLE,
7 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gradually.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gradually. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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