How to Use little by little in a Sentence

little by little

adverb
  • But little by little, that line has moved over the years.
    Dan Wolken, USA TODAY, 20 Oct. 2020
  • But little by little, over the course of the week, the decision to play on seemed to be clawed from their hands.
    Andrew Keh, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2020
  • Then, little by little, the Tigers saw the game slip out of their grasp as the Twins scooped up a 5-3 victory.
    Dana Gauruder, Detroit Free Press, 10 July 2021
  • As the rice thickens, add more stock little by little, and stir.
    Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Aug. 2022
  • Just like the other steps, add little by little and blend.
    Tynan Sinks, Allure, 28 Sep. 2018
  • Instead, harvest figs little by little when the fruit begins to droop on the tree and the fig flesh is soft to the touch.
    Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 July 2024
  • And little by little, the dial is going to shift for the better.
    Jason Ikeler, Harper's BAZAAR, 31 July 2019
  • And then the goal is to conquer other places little by little.
    Leila Cobo, Billboard, 29 Mar. 2023
  • Our goal was to show that little by little, always based on the DNA of the characters.
    Emiliano Granada, Variety, 8 Nov. 2021
  • Keep adding broth little by little until the masa doesn't crack.
    Twinkle Vanwinkle, Indianapolis Star, 14 Dec. 2017
  • And then, little by little, I was also asked if could write an episode?
    Patrick Frater, Variety, 27 Mar. 2024
  • But this week, little by little, those secrets start to eke out.
    Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 25 Apr. 2021
  • This is something very modern that the world became aware of, little by little, after the end of the war.
    Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 17 Jan. 2020
  • The normal course is to progress little by little, with much effort.
    Itxu Díaz, National Review, 19 Sep. 2020
  • And then little by little, I got pulled into the role of writer and then as one of the performers.
    David Weininger, BostonGlobe.com, 11 Nov. 2021
  • With your fingers, work around the edge of the dough little by little, turning about 1/4 inch of the dough in towards the center all around to make a rim.
    Sally Pasley Vargas, BostonGlobe.com, 28 Feb. 2023
  • The movie is built around the music, yet little by little, in a clip here and a clip there, Jerry Lee’s story gets told.
    Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 22 May 2022
  • Then little by little, her caregivers saw signs of hope.
    Sharon Grigsby, Dallas News, 5 Mar. 2021
  • Liz and Dave, shown with Lucia and Laine, have been sprucing up their old home little by little.
    Jody Garlock, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Aug. 2023
  • Find a colorist who agrees to take it slow, adding highlights little by little.
    Ellen Warren, chicagotribune.com, 7 Aug. 2019
  • He’s remodeled the shop throughout the decades, adding on little by little.
    Shauna Stuart | Sstuart@al.com, al, 1 Sep. 2023
  • Start from the top and twist sections of hair around the ribbon, adding more little by little, then tie scrunchies at the end to keep everything in place.
    Jacqueline Saguin, Good Housekeeping, 8 Apr. 2022
  • Her greatest hope is that her son will go back to school and, little by little, return to a normal life.
    San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Aug. 2019
  • But little by little, researchers chip away at the many problems.
    Lela Nargi, Washington Post, 7 June 2022
  • To make, add 1 teaspoon of matcha powder into a bowl and add beer little by little.
    Amanda Garrity, Good Housekeeping, 10 Mar. 2021
  • There’s also a lot to be said for becoming greater, little by little, month in, month out.
    Paul Croughton, Robb Report, 18 June 2023
  • In some ways, longtime fans have seen this change coming, little by little.
    Julia Prodis Sulek, The Mercury News, 7 June 2019
  • Just go after it every day, chip away at it little by little.
    Greg Presto, Men's Health, 27 Jan. 2022
  • The struggle with addiction hit me little by little, then all at once.
    Alexis Jones, Peoplemag, 13 May 2023
  • For culture to be preserved, it must also be allowed to breathe, shift and change shape, little by little.
    Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 June 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'little by little.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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