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

Another acquaintance said that Pauline would wear two sets of clothes out of the house so that she could sneak her wardrobe out, bit by bit, without Pusser noticing.

From Slate ● Nov. 6, 2025

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

I came back to myself in Clancy’s office bit by bit, with a headache severe enough that I had to put my face between my legs to avoid throwing up all over myself.

From "The Darkest Minds" by Alexandra Bracken