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
His progress has come gradually.
—
Nick Lunemann, CBS News, 1 June 2026
This is how gaps form, gradually and often without immediate visibility.
—Subha Barry, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
Let your children get to know your partner gradually, without pressure.
—Jann Blackstone, Boston Herald, 31 May 2026
The cups also feature a more angular design, visibly protruding rather than gradually curving.
—Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 31 May 2026
With that in mind, the experts advise introducing the formula gradually, especially for those with sensitive skin.
—Rosa Jisoo Pyo, Vogue, 31 May 2026
The good news is that the nights very gradually get longer night by night after the solstice, and stargazing can begin earlier and earlier.
—Mike Lynch, Twin Cities, 31 May 2026
Nick Lunemann, CBS News, 1 June 2026
This is how gaps form, gradually and often without immediate visibility.
—Subha Barry, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
Let your children get to know your partner gradually, without pressure.
—Jann Blackstone, Boston Herald, 31 May 2026
The cups also feature a more angular design, visibly protruding rather than gradually curving.
—Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 31 May 2026
With that in mind, the experts advise introducing the formula gradually, especially for those with sensitive skin.
—Rosa Jisoo Pyo, Vogue, 31 May 2026
The good news is that the nights very gradually get longer night by night after the solstice, and stargazing can begin earlier and earlier.
—Mike Lynch, Twin Cities, 31 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gradually
Adverb
-
Five or six men in dark trousers, with untucked shirts and loose jackets, hands in their pockets, shouldering off the wall and cutting slowly across the street, angling into the women’s path.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
-
As the ferry slowly pulled into the Ishigaki port on May 29, a group of people waved the Taiwan flag and brandished a banner to welcome the first batch of visitors.—
Wayne Chang,
CNN Money,
3 June 2026
Adverb
-
It has been held in Germany and Poland and is getting progressively larger and more comprehensive to meet the expanding dimensions of drone warfare.—
Zita Ballinger Fletcher,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
-
The bright pink headphones, first spotted by 9to5Mac, feature a headband more similar to AirPods Max than previous Beats headphones, featuring a thinner stem which progressively widens to connect to the earcups.—
Will McCurdy,
PC Magazine,
31 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gradually.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gradually. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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