by inches

Idioms  

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.

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Example Sentences

Martin Truex Jr. is winless in 19 starts in the 500, none more agonizing than losing to Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin by inches in 2016.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 13, 2024

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

From Washington Times • Sep. 14, 2023

It uses an efficient rolling road block of police motorbikes and cars to bookend the peloton and team vehicles, all of which whizz by, inches from spectators.

From BBC • Jun. 17, 2023

In the third quarter, the Commanders called a quarterback sneak on a fourth and one in their own territory, but after bringing the chains out to measure, officials ruled they were short by inches.

From Washington Post • Dec. 24, 2022

With two hundred meters to go, California edged ahead of Washington by inches.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown