as in gradually
by small steps or amounts
little by little, we pieced together the jigsaw puzzle
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Recent Examples of little by little
But little by little, the habit consumed him.
—
Mckay Coppins, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2026
All night, the fog had stubbornly hidden the stars in the dark, impenetrable sky, but now the sliver of light widened little by little into a luminous band, a hazy phosphorescence that slowly spread and took over.
—Literary Hub, 22 Jan. 2026
How about an effort to regularly clean up and maintain the area, starting with the City Administration Building and the surrounding (nonexistent) landscaping, then fixing up more sections little by little?
—U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Jan. 2026
But really, state by state, little by little, a lot of people are starting to say, this is the way millions of people are making money on their own terms and doing it in a way that really works for them.
—Fortune Editors, Fortune, 31 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for little by little
Mckay Coppins, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2026
All night, the fog had stubbornly hidden the stars in the dark, impenetrable sky, but now the sliver of light widened little by little into a luminous band, a hazy phosphorescence that slowly spread and took over.
—Literary Hub, 22 Jan. 2026
How about an effort to regularly clean up and maintain the area, starting with the City Administration Building and the surrounding (nonexistent) landscaping, then fixing up more sections little by little?
—U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Jan. 2026
But really, state by state, little by little, a lot of people are starting to say, this is the way millions of people are making money on their own terms and doing it in a way that really works for them.
—Fortune Editors, Fortune, 31 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for little by little
Recent Examples of Synonyms for little by little
gradually
Adverb
-
Other sports franchises followed the Giants’ example, and dynamic pricing, which had already been employed by airlines and hotels, gradually became the norm in American sports.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
-
The Des Plaines River is expected to crest, or reach its highest peak, at 18 feet this morning before gradually receding, according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Water Prediction Service.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Little by little.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/little%20by%20little. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
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