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
Between the 1950s and 1990s, South Africa faced a strong boycott movement that, little by little, turned it into a pariah.
—
Lauren Kent, CNN Money, 28 Sep. 2025
Diners can add the ingredients all at once or little by little—so the noodles don’t get soggy and the meat cooks just so.
—Bao Ong, Bon Appetit Magazine, 23 Sep. 2025
After the loss of her grandmother, cleaner Flora connects deeply with a teacher who, little by little, is becoming transparent.
—Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 19 Sep. 2025
Suddenly, little by little, the schedule completely went away, obviously.
—Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for little by little
Lauren Kent, CNN Money, 28 Sep. 2025
Diners can add the ingredients all at once or little by little—so the noodles don’t get soggy and the meat cooks just so.
—Bao Ong, Bon Appetit Magazine, 23 Sep. 2025
After the loss of her grandmother, cleaner Flora connects deeply with a teacher who, little by little, is becoming transparent.
—Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 19 Sep. 2025
Suddenly, little by little, the schedule completely went away, obviously.
—Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for little by little
Recent Examples of Synonyms for little by little
gradually
Adverb
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During the two years Échale operated at the Lumberyard, its menu gradually evolved from tacos to a more California-Mediterranean style of food.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 Nov. 2025
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The new Zeekr model, developed with Chinese automaker Geely, is designed specifically for robotaxi use cases and will be rolled out gradually as the company expands its service.—
Akash Sriram,
USA Today,
4 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Little by little.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/little%20by%20little. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
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