bit by bit

Idioms  

1. Also, little by little. Gradually, by small degrees, slowly. For example, The squirrels dug up the lawn bit by bit, till we had almost no grass, or Little by little he began to understand what John was getting at. The first term was first recorded in 1849, although bit in the sense of “small amount” is much older; the variant dates from the 1400s.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bit by bit

The reality, which I only began to absorb bit by bit after I ended it, is that my husband was not only a prolific storyteller but also a master manipulator.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 22, 2026

"There are so many people desperate for homes, my son has just bought an old house which he'll have to do up bit by bit as he can afford it."

From BBC ● Apr. 26, 2026

She has since sold off her gold bit by bit to get by.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2025

Their envy does pour out immediately but strains forth bit by bit, pressing through the narrow gaps in their bleached smiles.

From Salon ● Feb. 16, 2025

There was hope now, and bit by bit, with each game, it had gotten brighter and brighter.

From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger