by leaps and bounds

Idioms

Rapidly, or in fast progress, as in The corn is growing by leaps and bounds, or School enrollment is increasing by leaps and bounds. This term is a redundancy, since leap and bound both mean “spring” or “jump,” but the two words have been paired since Shakespeare's time and are still so used.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

AI’s capabilities have improved by leaps and bounds in recent years, to the point that investors suddenly fear that it will be able to replace large swaths of tech and other industries.

From Barron's • Feb. 23, 2026

AI agents for software development, in particular, have improved by leaps and bounds, Balazs added.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 12, 2026

Her defense also improved by leaps and bounds, enough so that she was a finalist for defensive player of the year.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2025

“But he has really improved by leaps and bounds over the course of the last year.”

From Washington Times • Sep. 14, 2023

Just as William’s skills had grown by leaps and bounds while he was overseas in France, Elizebeth’s talents were now undergoing a similar transformation.

From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023