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
Probably start by using softer AI personas and gradually inch your way to the later instances that fully test a therapist’s abilities.
—
Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
Place baba back into pan and gradually pour remaining syrup over.
—Jesse Szewczyk, Bon Appetit Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Consider starting small with fractional ownership or dollar-cost averaging to build your position gradually rather than trying to time the market perfectly.
—Matt Richardson, CBS News, 26 Jan. 2026
Plus, Shawn Steward, public affairs manager for AAA Oklahoma, advised drivers to accelerate, turn and brake gradually; use extra caution on bridges and overpasses; slow down to minimize the need to brake on icy roads; and avoid tailgating, using cruise control and making unnecessary lane changes.
—Brandy McDonnell, Oklahoman, 25 Jan. 2026
Its first secular use, as a term for major literary texts, dates to the eighteenth century, and that sense became gradually more pervasive as authority was divorced from scripture.
—Colton Valentine, New Yorker, 24 Jan. 2026
Showers will gradually end over the southern Plains by tomorrow afternoon, with the heavy precipitation shifting into New England through the afternoon and evening hours.
—Matt Nighswander, NBC news, 24 Jan. 2026
Entire industries are being rethought, not gradually, but all at once.
—Allen Buchanan, Oc Register, 24 Jan. 2026
Career transitions that happen gradually as your thoughts emerge are generally less stressful than those that erupt with the snap of the final straw in your job.
—Amy Lindgren, Twin Cities, 24 Jan. 2026
Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
Place baba back into pan and gradually pour remaining syrup over.
—Jesse Szewczyk, Bon Appetit Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Consider starting small with fractional ownership or dollar-cost averaging to build your position gradually rather than trying to time the market perfectly.
—Matt Richardson, CBS News, 26 Jan. 2026
Plus, Shawn Steward, public affairs manager for AAA Oklahoma, advised drivers to accelerate, turn and brake gradually; use extra caution on bridges and overpasses; slow down to minimize the need to brake on icy roads; and avoid tailgating, using cruise control and making unnecessary lane changes.
—Brandy McDonnell, Oklahoman, 25 Jan. 2026
Its first secular use, as a term for major literary texts, dates to the eighteenth century, and that sense became gradually more pervasive as authority was divorced from scripture.
—Colton Valentine, New Yorker, 24 Jan. 2026
Showers will gradually end over the southern Plains by tomorrow afternoon, with the heavy precipitation shifting into New England through the afternoon and evening hours.
—Matt Nighswander, NBC news, 24 Jan. 2026
Entire industries are being rethought, not gradually, but all at once.
—Allen Buchanan, Oc Register, 24 Jan. 2026
Career transitions that happen gradually as your thoughts emerge are generally less stressful than those that erupt with the snap of the final straw in your job.
—Amy Lindgren, Twin Cities, 24 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gradually
Adverb
-
Her nurse scooped her up and ran to put her into a cold bath, and slowly the motions faded.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Even before the layoffs, critics said the office was understaffed and moved too slowly.—
Collin Binkley,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
Speaking to The National, Azza Al Suwaidi, deputy chief executive of Etihad Rail Mobility, said the first phase will see trains operating between Abu Dhabi and Dubai, as well as connecting east to Fujairah, with further routes, stations, and connections rolling out progressively through 2026.—
Keith J Fernandez,
Condé Nast Traveler,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Since then, recent trials have enrolled progressively fewer Black patients.—
Yehoda Martei,
STAT,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gradually.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gradually. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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