one by one

1. 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

His colleagues, as well as members of the public who had come to help, stepped forward one by one to scoop up a child.

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Loyola lost close to a dozen players who abandoned the program one by one in the offseason.

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Construction workers started from the top down, removing the floors one by one.

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They lined up in front of their national flags and listened as he listed their countries one by one.

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While Mr. Ciattarelli greets voters one by one, an older black man makes a statement to the crowd.

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