piecemeal 1 of 2

as in gradual
proceeding or changing by steps or degrees a piecemeal attempt to remedy the traffic congestion

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piecemeal

2 of 2

adverb

1
2
as in apart
into parts or pieces one well-aimed blow ripped the piñata piecemeal

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of piecemeal
Adjective
Discovery could be run for cash, serve as a rollup vehicle, sell off assets piecemeal, reinvest in its brands or sell the whole thing off to private equity, notes Bank of America analyst Jessica Reif-Ehrlich, who was among the Wall Street insiders calling for such a strategic move last year. Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 13 Oct. 2025 Creditors face uncertainty as assets may be sold piecemeal and contested, potentially yielding less than an orderly liquidation—especially given FSS’s significant long-term liabilities. Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
Adverb
Native plants can be added to the landscape piecemeal or in a landscape overhaul. Special To The Denver Post, Denver Post, 31 Aug. 2025 Still, these reforms remain piecemeal and are isolated to places with political will and financial resources. Danya Gainor, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for piecemeal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for piecemeal
Adjective
  • Paz favored gradual reform, including tax incentives for small businesses and regional fiscal autonomy, while Quiroga proposed sweeping cuts and an IMF bailout.
    Reuters 3 min ago, CNN Money, 20 Oct. 2025
  • The Bangladesh Shipping Agents Association (BSAA) has called the increase unsustainable, suggesting instead a gradual implementation over six to twelve months with a 10–15 percent rise.
    Mayu Saini, Sourcing Journal, 20 Oct. 2025
Adverb
  • The Ohio Valley is expected to start the holiday weekend off with chilly temperatures, before gradually getting warmer toward Thanksgiving.
    Kaycee Sloan, Cincinnati Enquirer, 21 Oct. 2025
  • Allow dogs to explore decorations gradually.
    Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
Adverb
  • For instance, last year, investigators looked into a pair of fatal accidents that had happened two days apart at the same intersection in Melbourne, Florida, a small, coastal city 70 miles southeast of Orlando.
    Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 22 Oct. 2025
  • And so to see this whole thing falling apart, her son going down the tubes, what's going to happen to him, her husband, lie after lie and deception after deception, on top of things that predate the show.
    H. Alan Scott, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Piecemeal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/piecemeal. Accessed 27 Oct. 2025.

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