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by the dozen

Idioms  
  1. Also,. According to a definite quantity, as in She's buying tapes by the dozen. This usage is generally employed for some kind of rate. A 1950 film about efficiency expert Frank Gilbreth and his family was entitled Cheaper by the Dozen. [c. 1300]


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.

See Examples For:

Now he buys them by the dozen, with extra orders whenever he can get it.

From Los Angeles Times Oct. 22, 2025

Notwithstanding the occasional recession, financial crisis and market correction — by the dozen — along the way, the market has, for the most part, proven a trustworthy long-term bet for investors and retirees.

From MarketWatch Oct. 20, 2025

Some of it is bought from defence contractors and commercial producers, other gear is specially assembled by the dozen research groups working at Cochstedt.

From Barron's Oct. 14, 2025

He did it with speed, superior skills and passing wiles that allowed him to rack up goals by the dozen and helped his teammates do the same.

From The Wall Street Journal Apr. 7, 2025

Knowing there were soap bars by the dozen, bacon by the rasher, and reveling in her shiny pots and pans and polished floors.

From "The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison

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