step by step
phrase
by small degrees, increments, or stages; gradually.
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step by step
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step-by-step
step-by-stepadjectivegiving or involving one task or action at a time toward a goal.
step by step
1 Americanphrase
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by small degrees, increments, or stages; gradually.
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by completing one task or action at a time toward the accomplishment of a goal.
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by taking one step after another with the feet, or at a slow, deliberate walking pace.
step-by-step
2
American
adjective
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giving or involving one task or action at a time toward a goal.
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happening or done by small degrees, increments, or stages; gradual.
step by step
Idioms
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
In that mode, the AI chatbot is trained to help students solve problems step by step, rather than simply offering the answer.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 3, 2026
“Los Angeles has made it difficult to build housing at every level of government, and Raman has shown an inclination to address this step by step to make the process faster, easier and cheaper.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
Sit down with him and outline, step by step, how you work and what changes you’ve had to make to his work.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 10, 2026
"Brokers are an anchor during turbulent times as they can help borrowers keep abreast of changes and be there step by step when going through a mortgage application," she said.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
Biting her lip, she dragged her aching leg step by step, and felt Vandara’s contemptuous eyes on her back.
From "Gathering Blue" by Lois Lowry
It’s a tale of an exacting, step-by-step plan to rob a racetrack and how it is wittily undone by even more meticulous and unforgiving fate.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
Robertson said it was "a step-by-step process" to get Betty ready to return to the water, as they had to work to increase her body temperature very gradually every day.
From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2026
Market Hulbert provided a step-by-step guide to setting up a retirement income stream for 30 years with a guaranteed inflation-adjusted withdrawal rate of 5%.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 21, 2026
I like to enjoy my noods in soup form, but you can also follow this step-by-step process for stir-fried noodles.
From Salon ● Jul. 19, 2026
She doesn’t realize yet that one day she’s going to fail at something, and our mother will be there to critique exactly how she failed, step-by-step.
From "Ask the Passengers" by A.S. King
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
