by dint of

Idioms  

1. By means of, as in By dint of hard work he got his degree in three years. The word dint, which survives only in this expression, originally meant “a stroke or blow,” and by the late 1500s signified the force behind such a blow. The current term preserves the implication of vigorous or persistent means.

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Example Sentences

Simply by dint of their tablet-like heft, dictionaries make a claim for longevity and authority.

From The Wall Street Journal

MacArthur, by dint of relentless self-promotion and a fervent desire to deny others credit, is better known to history, but it is Wainwright, forced to surrender because of MacArthur’s mistakes and taken prisoner of war so as not to abandon his men, who is the hero we deserve.

From The Wall Street Journal

Others are here by dint of good old-fashioned storytelling, memorable characters and terrific performances — or just because they made me laugh.

From Los Angeles Times

Mr. Harkins insists that he is “not really special,” but he can be said to speak for his fellow officers by dint of family history.

From The Wall Street Journal

By dint of their social status and his achievements, the sisters intersected with a cavalcade of famous figures: Washington and his wife, Martha; Benjamin Franklin; the Marquis de Lafayette; Thomas Jefferson; James and Dolley Madison; the painter John Trumbull; and, fatefully, Aaron Burr.

From The Wall Street Journal