as in gradual
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Recent Examples of stepwise
Something else Krasley observed was that the factories didn’t embark on one gigantic, expensive retrofit, but rather took a stepwise approach to accumulating cooling improvements that was easier on their bottom lines.
—
Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 26 Mar. 2026
Certain fungi use enzymes to break down complex organic matter through stepwise reactions.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 23 Feb. 2026
This stepwise approach will give you a reliable, privacy-compliant framework for budget allocation that evolves as your business and the market do.
—Bernard May, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
The percentage of uninsured respondents in the 30-49 age cohort, which was the first group targeted in a stepwise introduction of the requirement, rose to 14.5% in 2018 from 10.5% in 2016.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 20 Nov. 2024
Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 26 Mar. 2026
Certain fungi use enzymes to break down complex organic matter through stepwise reactions.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 23 Feb. 2026
This stepwise approach will give you a reliable, privacy-compliant framework for budget allocation that evolves as your business and the market do.
—Bernard May, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
The percentage of uninsured respondents in the 30-49 age cohort, which was the first group targeted in a stepwise introduction of the requirement, rose to 14.5% in 2018 from 10.5% in 2016.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 20 Nov. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stepwise
Adjective
-
Many agree that relieving economic distress must be an immediate focus, but while some believe that should entail a gradual, socialist-style liberalization of the economy, others want a total transition to free-market capitalism, including more foreign investment and private enterprise.—
Kate Linthicum,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Mar. 2026
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Water levels have dropped roughly 7 feet so far this year and are forecast to continue a gradual decline through the months ahead.—
Daniel Manzo,
ABC News,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
That’s when Jack discovers the tin full of custom drugs that were left in their room by the demented chemistry major who used to live there (the reliably hilarious Sarah Sherman, appearing in a step-by-step YouTube tutorial about surviving the pills her character invented).—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
31 Mar. 2026
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Check out the step-by-step in her TikTok below.—
Marci Robin,
Allure,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
In January 2026, SpaceX submitted an application to put 1 million additional satellites into orbit as part of its push for orbital data centers, exceeding the cumulative total from all other providers combined.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The cumulative impact of these forces is causing moral distress among physicians, who increasingly encounter situations where the optimal clinical decision is not the one that can be executed within the current constraints of authority.—
Sreedhar Potarazu,
Baltimore Sun,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stepwise.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stepwise. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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