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]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

by the dozen

It confiscates cellphones by the thousand and drones by the dozen.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026

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

When the doors opened, they swarmed inside, ordering doughnuts by the dozen to take out, or noshing at bistro tables in a cafe-style setting.

From New York Times ● Dec. 7, 2023

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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