little by little

adverb

: by small degrees or amounts : gradually

Examples of little by little in a Sentence

little by little, we pieced together the jigsaw puzzle
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
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 You may be tempted to go straight in with loads of product, but for the best lash look, Gray recommends starting little by little. Ariana Yaptangco, Glamour, 10 Sep. 2025 But the scrappy Padres battled back – little by little. Dan Freedman, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for little by little

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of little by little was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Little by little.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/little%20by%20little. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

little by little

adverb
: by small steps or amounts : gradually
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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