slow but sure

Idioms  

1. Gradual or plodding but certain to finish, as in Slow but sure this book's getting written. This idiom was first recorded in 1562, although the idea is much older. A related phrase appears in the proverb slow and steady wins the race, which is the moral of Aesop's fable about the race between a tortoise and a hare, which stopped to nap during the race and therefore lost.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

slow but sure

Progress in developing the sport was slow but sure.

From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026

Mr. Benton’s processing facility, just under an hour’s drive south of Knoxville, has been cobbled together over decades to accommodate the slow but sure increase in demand.

From New York Times ● Apr. 25, 2022

Nystrom sees it as a slow but sure devolution of reverence for the old Confederacy.

From Washington Times ● Jul. 28, 2017

Gregg, who lives in Hollywood, mentions the slow but sure improvement to getting there.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2016

“Come on, girl. Let’s walk on these slow but sure feet and git ourselves to home.”

From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson