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
That’s how things change, little by little.
—
R. Eric Thomas, Denver Post, 7 Dec. 2025
Her sensitive, vulnerable performance anchors every scene, shifting little by little into a newfound maturity by the end.
—David Opie, IndieWire, 4 Dec. 2025
Wu also placed each model between two guardrails, kept them fixed five inches apart, and added weight little by little until the structure failed.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 1 Dec. 2025
What was once beyond the pale has little by little become accepted.
—Evan Hughes, The Atlantic, 20 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for little by little
R. Eric Thomas, Denver Post, 7 Dec. 2025
Her sensitive, vulnerable performance anchors every scene, shifting little by little into a newfound maturity by the end.
—David Opie, IndieWire, 4 Dec. 2025
Wu also placed each model between two guardrails, kept them fixed five inches apart, and added weight little by little until the structure failed.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 1 Dec. 2025
What was once beyond the pale has little by little become accepted.
—Evan Hughes, The Atlantic, 20 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for little by little
Recent Examples of Synonyms for little by little
gradually
Adverb
-
Flick was wary of the youngster experiencing a setback, given recent cases involving other young players and preferred to bring him back gradually.—
Laia Cervelló Herrero,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Over centuries, silt gradually pushed the shoreline further away, contributing to Ephesus’ abandonment by the time of the Ottoman era in the 15th century.—
Maureen O'Hare,
CNN Money,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Little by little.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/little%20by%20little. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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