by inches

1. Also, inch by inch. Gradually, bit by bit, as in We found ourselves in rush hour traffic, moving by inches. Shakespeare used this term in Coriolanus (5:4): “They'll give him death by inches.” Despite the increasing use of metric measurements, it survives, often as an exaggeration of the actual circumstance. The phrase to inch along, first recorded in 1812, means “to move bit by bit,” as in There was a long line at the theater, just inching along.

Example Sentences

His eagle putt missed by inches, but he tapped in for his third straight red number.

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A jet of red light zips into the cabin and misses her by inches.

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“The plane was over our heads by inches,” she said.

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Mullins led off with a bunt single when the ball rolled dead on the dirt about halfway to third base, fair by inches.

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A homer by Met Lee Mazzilli in the eighth that by inches cleared the 316-foot wall in left field tied it.

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