by small degrees, increments, or stages; gradually.
by completing one task or action at a time toward the accomplishment of a goal.
by taking one step after another with the feet, or at a slow, deliberate walking pace.
giving or involving one task or action at a time toward a goal.
happening or done by small degrees, increments, or stages; gradual.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"We have to go step by step again, but we can't wait until we're physically top to start getting results," the Belgian said.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
In this framework, the brain does not rely only on a step by step flow of information.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 13, 2026
"That is why we are doing it carefully, step by step -- for what we can predict," he said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 2, 2026
During the demolition, she writes, “I received pictures of the destruction step by step from people in DC. I could barely look.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 4, 2026
Gimli gazed with wide eyes for a while, as step by step the figure drew nearer.
From "The Two Towers" by J. R. R. Tolkien
I like to enjoy my noods in soup form, but you can also follow this step-by-step process for stir-fried noodles.
From Salon ● Jul. 19, 2026
At its annual developer conference, Microsoft Build, the group unveiled MAI-Thinking-1, its first "reasoning" model -- AI systems that break down problems step-by-step before responding, similar to offerings from OpenAI, Google or Anthropic.
From Barron's ● Jun. 2, 2026
In recent decades, so-called scrum teams—cross-functional groups focused on deploying and iterating quickly—have replaced a slower, step-by-step engineering methodology known as “waterfall.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 18, 2026
Let's break it down step-by-step, consider the potential fouls and what the VAR would be looking for.
From BBC ● May 11, 2026
They were grabbing the hands of the kids who were trapped in the portable and pulling them up, step-by-step, to the edge of the hole.
From "Tangerine" by Edward Bloor
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
