dribs and drabs

American  

plural noun

1. small and usually irregular amounts.

   He repaid the loan in dribs and drabs.

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dribs and drabs British  

/ drɪbz /

plural noun

1. small sporadic amounts

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dribs and drabs Idioms  

1. Bits and pieces, negligible amounts, as in There's not much left, just some dribs and drabs of samples. The noun drib is thought to be a shortening of driblet, for “drop” or “tiny quantity,” dating from the early 1700s, whereas drab meaning “a small sum of money” dates from the early 1800s.

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Example Sentences

"The news came through in dribs and drabs," Ms Norris said.

From BBC • Jan. 4, 2026

Doing this requires three crucial steps: First, for France to set an example by delivering enough Patriot-type batteries to protect all major cities urgently, not in dribs and drabs.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 20, 2025

England's full squad only assembled in Perth last weekend, some coming from a white-ball series in New Zealand where they crashed 3-0, while others arrived in dribs and drabs.

From Barron's • Nov. 12, 2025

And it's not until more trickles of information started pouring out in dribs and drabs that I started to wonder, "What's the bigger story here, and what actually happened?"

From Salon • Aug. 28, 2024

I keep hearing it over and over in dribs and drabs from Amélie herself, who thinks I’m a good listener although I can’t understand half of what she says.

From "Code Name Verity" by Elizabeth Wein