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

"It's quite a processional experience because people have to go bit by bit through the tapestry," Lewis said.

From Barron's ● Sep. 10, 2026

Instead of all or nothing, the U.S. is pushing for a more piecemeal approach where these things can happen in tandem bit by bit.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026

In so doing, further greenhouse gas emissions are generated, adding bit by bit to the climate change effect – the very one driving the temperatures and the demand for air conditioning.

From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026

While the garden is rooted in local culture, built bit by bit from the flotsam and jetsam of Los Angeles locations and plants native to the ecology, the programming is more global in approach.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 4, 2025

Slowly, slow, bit by bit, a foot, then another, she finds an edge; one hand, then the other, clings to rock, lowering her body.

From "Paradise on Fire" by Jewell Parker Rhodes