one by one

Idioms

Also, one at a time. Individually in succession, as in The ducklings jumped into the pond one by one, or One at a time they went into the office. Formerly also put as one and one and one after one, this idiom dates from about a.d. 1000.

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:

one by one

Walker and Auen understand that humanity is deeply entrenched in an empathy crisis, with every last way out being sealed off one by one.

From Salon ● Sep. 7, 2026

Inside the Universalist Unitarian Church of Riverside, a line of masked people filed into the red-lighted chapel, one by one, to take part in the rite of confession.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026

Testing possible printing settings one by one is also impractical.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 27, 2026

Residents of Brunswick Gate, Landsgate, Ounty John Lane, Quarry Park Road and Racecourse Lane were asked to gather to speak to fire chiefs one by one.

From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026

Sick with regret, Macklin took his dogs one by one from harness.

From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong

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