LITTLE BY LITTLE Synonyms: 22 Similar and Opposite Words

little by little

adverb

Definition of little by little next

as in gradually

by small steps or amounts little by little, we pieced together the jigsaw puzzle

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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Recent Examples of little by little Back Away Slowly Retreat little by little. —

Michelle Mastro, Martha Stewart, 5 Apr. 2026 Prescott is a big believer in completing projects little by little. —

Kylie Petty, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Apr. 2026 UConn clawed back, little by little, until a Cayden Boozer miscue led to UConn's Braylon Mullins becoming a legend forever. —

Megan Armstrong, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026 As the light journeys along the fiber, little by little, some scatters off the glass molecules themselves and is lost. —

John Ballato, The Conversation, 24 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for little by little

Recent Examples of Synonyms for little by little

gradually

Adverb

In Lord of the Flies by William Golding, young boys gradually become feral and sadistic when trapped on an island together, and in Shakespeare’s The Tempest, Prospero magically shipwrecks his brother and his allies so that they will all be exiled together under his watch.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 May 2026
The sky will continue to gradually clear from northwest, to southeast, across Maryland Monday afternoon and early evening.

— Cutter Martin, CBS News, 11 May 2026

Definition of gradually

Browse Nearby Words

little bitty

little by little

little guy

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“Little by little.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/little%20by%20little. Accessed 15 May. 2026.

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