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

"We can't do that for our ocean. We have to map it bit by bit using acoustic instruments on ships," he explains.

From BBC

“This is far more serious and the long-term consequences could be a lot worse, and yet the price has only gone up bit by bit.”

From Los Angeles Times

The good feeling I had from reading that story out loud had been growing bit by bit all afternoon, till it ended up being a full-blown happiness by the time I got home.

From Literature

They could not get through as easily and, as Spurs saw more of the ball, the hosts grew in confidence bit by bit and built their way back into the game.

From BBC

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

From The Wall Street Journal